Tracking the Ghost
by Zothar
Summary: Everyone knows that Ronon is a great tracker. But when the hunter becomes the hunted, what will happen to the Atlantis team? How do you track a Ghost? Non-Slash
1. First Mistake: Taking the Job

The stargate activated, its signature tidal-wave of energy announcing its use. The Atlantis team walked through, John leading them, as usual. Rodney followed close behind, with Teyla and Ronan brining up the rear, the former glancing around curiously and the latter wearing his typical bored expression. The team stood still for a few moments, looking at the large city surrounding them. People were walking everywhere, most with turbans or shawls over their heads. Flags marked nearly every corner, and though there were obvious ships in the air above them, there were no cars, nor any other types of vehicle, in the streets.

John Sheppard tilted his head slightly, his eyes scrutinizing the scene in front of him. "Rodney, what did you say this place was called, again?" he asked his teammate without turning towards him.

"It says here… Ah, yes, we are officially in New Mecca." The scientist answered, a slightly smug expression crossing his face.

"Right," commented John slowly, still studying his surroundings. "And we are supposed to be here because of some serial killer?"

Teyla Ammagen moved to stand beside John, watching the surroundings with a critical, yet still curious, eye. "They seek to know if the criminal still is on this planet, or if he escaped," she said in clarification.

"Yeah, tracking down the serial killer." Said John again, nodding his head in understanding once more. "Because we just love to play detective."

Ronan Dex, still silent and in the back of the group, rolled his eyes. Absently, he took his gun from its holster and began spinning it in his boredom. Sure, things may get exciting once they actually got to track this guy. Apparently he was wanted for some pretty big stuff, and had escaped three Max-security prisons already.

"Excuse me, but are you the Atlantians?" a voice asked from beside John. Turning, the team saw a large, middle aged man looking rather distastefully at them. He had bulk and muscle, and an arrogance that seemed to surround him like a shield. At John's nod, he let out a slightly exaggerated sigh. "Well, apparently you're the best I'm gonna get," he said unenthusiastically.

John looked at the rest of his teammates, then back at their rather rude welcoming party. "Pleasant company already," he said in his usual sarcasm. "So where are we supposed to go?"

The big man turned on his heel. "Follow me; I'll take you to Johns. He's the guy who is looking to make the payday."

The rest of the group followed in suite, sharing knowing glances at their host's remarks. They moved through the city's streets slowly, as the crowd was rather large. Rodney commented that it was a holy city, for Christian and Muslim people alike, and today was one of their holy days. It was nearly twenty minutes later when they were lead into an alley, followed by a door and small room.

As each got accustomed to the inside lighting, they noticed a table with chairs surrounding it as the only piece of furniture in the room. Sitting at the table was a tall, blonde haired man, with strikingly blue eyes, and a large gun slung across his shoulder.

The man, obviously the Johns they had been told they would meet, smiled at the group, though it didn't seem to reach quite to his eyes. "So," he said, his voice relaxed and controlled, "you're the group that wants a try at Riddick."

* * *

><p>Richard B. Riddick watched the group closely as they came through the portal. <em>Four in all, one not an obvious threat. The female is strong, and smells of beauty. The taller one is not dressed like the others. He fights. <em>The assessment of the group continued, staring at John. _Leader, knows how to use a gun. Johns called them in to help catch me. Am I that much of a threat to you now, Johns?_ Riddick smirked slightly, though it was hidden by the hooded cape he wore.

He continued watching as a large man, the one he had come to know as a big shot in the secret police of New Mecca, approached them, though he seemed disappointed. Quickly, he started to take them to the room where Riddick knew Johns was staying.

Moving with the crowd and taking his time, Riddick followed the strange group down the streets of New Mecca. His hood covered his face, and even with his size he was able to slip in and around the crowds with the grace and ease of a panther. He watched as the group entered an alley, and into the door he knew Johns was hiding in.

* * *

><p>"He is a ghost, one that you will never see coming," Said Johns, reclining in his chair while he sipped on yet another scotch. The rest of the Atlantis team had already sat down, and were trying to get as much information as they could about their next supposed target. However, information on Riddick seemed to come in short supply.<p>

"Can you please give us something other than that?" complained Rodney, sighing in exasperation. "You act as if this guy is superhuman or something. Look, we hunt the Wraith almost every day. I'm pretty sure we can deal with this one criminal."

"He isn't just some criminal," the big man, who they had yet to learn a name for, growled. "The bounty on his head is more than the rest of the top ten men in the galaxy, combined! He has escaped the slam countless times, including max-security prison planets. And," at this he paused for emphasis, "Rumor has it that he encountered the Wraith, and single handedly killed five of them. With his shiv."

The rest of the team exchanged glances, Rodney and Teyla doubtful, Ronan and John eager. They had yet to meet with someone who could fight that well against the wraith, other than Ronan and Teal'c.

"Where was the last time you saw this man, Riddick?" asked John, looking back towards the mercenary once again. Johns stared straight back, his ice-blue eyes level with Sheppard's.

"One week ago was his last killing. Most people think he has moved on, hopped a ship and gone to the next system. But he is still around. I can tell."

"Well, solid evidence is always reassuring," grumbled Rodney sarcastically. The rest of the team ignored him.

"We'll start searching around, see what we can come up with." Said John, rising from his chair and shaking hands with the bounty hunter.

The group turned towards the door, the big man still standing right in the doorway. He didn't say anything, simply stared straight at them for a few moments. Then, without warning, he fell face first to the ground, a piece of sharpened metal protruding from his back. The rest of the group stood in stunned shock as Johns calmly walked over to where the dead man lay.

"Right in the sweet spot," he said, almost under his breath.

Rodney was sputtering, his eyes huge. "B-but how? I never even heard him. Ronan never even heard him! How did he get in and out so quickly?" Teyla's mouth was slightly agape, and John Sheppard looked around the small, windowless room once again, paranoia slowly creeping in. Ronan's face was still neutral, but his eyes gleamed with eagerness.

Johns stood and turned towards them, smiling. "Welcome to the world of Riddick."


	2. Trouble at the Gate

"So, where do we start?" asked John, once they had left the room and the dead body behind. His eyes still flitted about, a tad nervously. That had actually gotten to him a bit, he wasn't gonna lie.

Ronan looked all too eager to get started. Already he was checking around the place to see if there were any hints as to where the killer could have gone. But with all the people around, it was rather useless. Growling in frustration, he shoved his gun back into his holster. "I don't know where he went," he muttered, brows furrowed in anger.

Teyla, whose initial shock had finally been overcome by her logical side, glanced about with the same caution as John. "I believe that we should start questioning people about his whereabouts, and ask if anybody has seen a man of his description."

"Won't work," replied Ronan, his voice always low. "Too many people."

"Ronan's right," said John, finally looking closer than not relaxed. "First things first, let's head back to Atlantis and tell Elizabeth about this. No doubt she's gonna be thrilled, and I want to grab some backup."

The group started to move back towards the gait. Rodney had yet to speak again, his face still ghastly white from fear. They made their way to the stargate, which had less people around it, due to the area being guarded. The sun was setting, and already long shadows from the surrounding buildings covered the group. Rodney punched in the numbers to the stargate, then stepped back as the tidal wave once again rushed from the ancient circle. The group once more stepped into the watery vortex, with John in the rear, giving one more careful look to his surroundings. And then they were gone.

* * *

><p>Riddick watched as the group returned to the strange circle they had come from. Sure, he considered himself an accomplished pilot, but he had never even heard of… whatever this was. A slight frown came across his features. Was this some kind of new method of transportation? There had to be drawbacks. If he had learned one thing, it was that nothing in life is gonna be easy.<p>

The group approached the contraption. Shadows surrounded the area, and Riddick, cautious to keep his hood up, removed the welder's goggles. The scientist stood over something that looked like a control pannel, and then stepped back. A tidal wave of, well, something, came out of the ring, and afterward all four members disappeared into it. A few seconds later and the vortex vanished.

Riddick waited a bit longer, and then as the darkness began to engulf the entire city, he moved, silently and stealthily, towards the ring.

_A total of ten guards, automatic weapons. All facing the sunset. What's the matter, afraid of the dark?_

The ghost moved in and around the bodies. Three of them fell silently a few moments later. A panicked alarm went up around the guards as they began to surround the area where their friends lay dead.

Riddick slowly moved toward the strange ring, staying in the shadows as much as possible. When he reached the small alter-like-podium in front of it, he stopped short. Dozens of symbols he had never seen before reached his eyes.

_Shit, I never saw what he did. I thought it was just a damn switch._ Riddick's eyes narrowed a bit, and then he quickly punched in several of the symbols, hoping he got lucky. For the third time that day, a tidal wave erupted from the stargate. The soldiers turned around in time to see a cloaked figure disappear into the ring, and the eerie water-like vanish after him.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean, he went through the stargate?" John growled at the man through the monitor of Atlantis, arms crossed against his chest. Ronan, Rodney and Teyla stood behind him and Dr. Weir, looking equally as irritated. Their briefing had just ended, with Weir giving permission to John to take reinforcements when they returned to the city. All seemed to be going well, until an urgent call came in from New Mecca.<p>

"Three of our guys dropped dead, and when we went to investigate, the stargate opened and he jumped through. No one here knows how to extract the call information, which is why we called you as soon as we could." The officer on the other side of the screen was pale and sweating, obviously still unnerved about what had happened.

"Well did any of you touch anything?" asked Rodney, impatiently. Teyla and Ronan simultaneously elbowed him in the ribs, causing the shorter man to grunt. "What?"

John ignored his friend. "Don't move, and don't let your guard down. We're gonna be coming through in twenty minutes with more men, and we'll look into where he went and go after him. Over and out." At his dismissal, the communication cut and shut down. Elisabeth turned to look at John. "And who exactly gave you permission to make that claim?"

John turned to his superior, a slightly sheepish look on his face. "Okay, Elisabeth. May we return to that planet in twenty minutes with more men, to look into where he's gone and go after him? Pretty please?" he added the last part with a hint of sarcasm. Dr. Weir looked at him for a few seconds, and Ronan noticed a suppressed grin trying at the edge of her mouth.

"Permission granted, John. Now get out of here." She said, turning tightly on her heels and walking out of the communications area. John turned towards his team, a slight grin in his face. Teyla looked at him with one eyebrow raised, while Ronan gave John his patent, accusatory stare. John looked around at the group. "What?" he half asked, half demanded. Rodney simply looked confused, glancing from one face to another, trying to figure out what he missed.

Eighteen minutes later, the team stood once again before the ancient ring, with an additional ten marines as backup. As they stepped back into the world of New Mecca, each unconsciously held their weapon a little bit tighter, as if expecting this ghost to attack them the minute they exited the wormhole.

Rodney got straight to work hacking the ring's history, and soon, much to everyone's relief, finished explaining what he was doing and simply did it (though this was after a threat from John). Standing up and glancing at his data pad, he turned to the group, a slightly smug expression on his face once again. "There now, told you this would be easy."

"You've done this a million times, Rodney. It's really nothing special anymore," John sneered at the man. Rodney gave his friend a scowl, and then looked back down at his data pad. "Ok, we just dialed in, so that means that the last one before that, the planet our ghost friend is now inhabiting, is…" the scientist's voice trailed off, and his face got a slightly pale look once more.

"Well, what is it?" asked John impatiently.

Rodney cleared his throat, then glanced at Ronan. "According to this, Riddick is somewhere on Sateda."


	3. Sateda

Riddick looked around slowly, trying to find his bearings. The journey through, whatever that was, had been a trip, and he wasn't exactly keen on going through it again at this point. His shaded eyes took in his surroundings, protected once more by the welding goggles. The sight was not a pretty one.

Burned out buildings surrounded him, shells of what had once been a seemingly large city. Bricks and concrete littered the roadways and alleys, filling the air with the smell of dust. All around him was chaos, aged and dead.

Walking around, Riddick stumbled across what appeared to be a body. At least, it looked like it used to be one. The skin was pulled tight across a shriveled skeleton in a mummy-like appearance. The only injury that he could find was a large gash on the front of the person's chest. As he looked up, he saw more of the strange skeletons, all eerily lying, mouths agape, as if in a perpetual scream of death. It was enough to make even Riddick's skin crawl.

_What kind of sick fuck came through here anyways? There's no life here, just an abandoned ghost city. Abandoned, or genocide. _ _And they call me a murderer._

It was midday, wherever he was. The heat was present, but not oppressive. Riddick walked until he was at the city limit, and looked out to the forest beyond. _Probably food and water there, if I wanted it. Not that I want to stay on this rock any longer. Boring._

Just as he was headed back to the ring, however, the ancient stargate glowed, and a tidal wave erupted from the opening. Riddick slid into the shadows of a partially collapsed building, waiting. Someone had followed him. He knew things were never as easy as they firs appeared. So they knew how to trace movements through those things.

_Interesting._

* * *

><p>The Atlantis team stepped into the sunlight of Sateda, the original four accompanied by the ten marines. John looked around carefully, then turned to his friend. "Well Ronan, how are you feeling about this?"<p>

The big man just grunted, pushing his way past his comrades to start looking around for clues. He hadn't said anything since the announcement, but had worn a perpetual scowl even deeper than usual. Unknowingly, this Riddick had just made their battle personal.

"I've found some tracks. He went this way." Ronan stood and strode confidently in the direction where the sandy footprints led. The rest of the team followed closely after, leaving six of the marines to guard the stargate.

"I've only found one set of footprints. He didn't leave the planet." Ronan was brief and to the point, eyes simultaneously scanning the ground and the surrounding buildings.

"He dialed in about half an hour ago. Why didn't he leave?" Rodney was quick to ask, checking his datapad for life signs. Eventually he gave up, as the pad registered anything warm as potential life, and thus was useless.

"Well, if I remember my first trip through the stargate correctly, my guess is that he didn't exactly want to just jump right back in there," John said, sauntering behind Ronan. "Besides, I don't think he knows how to use a stargate. Otherwise, why else would he come here?"

Rodney nodded, looking around. Since first joining the team, his weapons experience and fighting had definitely improved, and he had been able to learn some basic hand to hand combat from Ronan. Still, he preferred to stay towards the center of the group. It was no secret that, come time for a fight, he was easily the weakest link.

The team walked in silence for a while, following their tracker while keeping a lookout for any kind of attack. The bodies of dead Satedans, all fed upon by the wraith, were present wherever they went, making each person a little more somber, and a little more nervous.

"We're almost to the edge of the city." Ronan's voice cut through the silence, making everybody jump slightly. The group stopped and studied their surroundings, weapons at the ready. Ronan paced the area, then turned to the group once again. "He turned back. Probably heading for the stargate."

"Wait, so you mean, we passed him?" asked Rodney, eyes suddenly wide. Ronan didn't answer, simply turning and walking quickly in the direction the tracks led. The rest of the group followed suite, Teyla speeding up a bit to join with him.

"Ronan, are you going to be alright? I understand that this place can bring, painful memories." Teyla chose her words carefully, and spoke low enough so that only Ronan could hear her.

Ronan didn't slow or change his expression, giving instead a curt nod. "Its fine. I'll be ok." His companion gave him a look that said she didn't believe him, but dropped the subject.

"Colonel Sheppard! Cone in Sheppard, over!" a frantic voice came over the intercom. Sheppard quickly picked it up. "This is Sheppard, what's going on over there?"

"Its Riddick sir, he is turning himself in! He is walking towards us now." The team could hear words being spoken in the background, including a deep, menacing voice.

"Don't let him get too close, keep him at least ten feet from you, is that clear?" John shouted at the microphone, while motioning the others to run back to where the gate was.

"No sir, we have him out manned. We'll take care of him from-" the rest of the transmission was cut off in a series of weapon fire.

"No! I said keep him at a distance! Are you there? Come in, over!" John yelled once more, as the group neared where the gate was.

Then an explosion shook the ground.

* * *

><p>The group had disappeared in the direction he had gone, merely half an hour before. Riddick looked at the remaining six guards, each with a fully automatic weapon, standing in a circle facing outward.<p>

_Smart._

Moving himself around silently, he glanced at the direction his tracks had gone. Already the team was half way to the city's edge. _And they would have a tracker on their team. Same one who can fight. Impressive._

Riddick slid in behind the gate, still about one hundred feet away, and waited. _If they can track me that well, they'll find me wherever I go. I need to get off this rock. Back to New Mecca. Then kill them._

Riddick strode forward, in plain view of the marines, with his hands up. The marines all took aim, with one frantically calling on his intercom. Riddick strode forward, without hesitation.

"Hands where we can see them, come quietly," one marine barked, P-90 raised to the level of Riddick's head.

"I'm not interested in getting killed," Riddick answered in a low voice. _That part is true._

As soon as he reached the first man, Riddick immediately grabbed the gun and pulled it past his body, removing himself from the line of fire. Then he spun the marine around, shiv already in his hand, and brought the man into a choke hold with the knife against his throat. Before anyone had time to react, he turned the gun on the other marines.

Three of them were killed, and the others hid behind the control panel. Each had their guns sighted, but because the P-90 wasn't the most accurate weapon, they refused to fire, in fear of hitting their friend.

Riddick continued to fire short bursts towards the group. Then one stray bullet found its mark in the control panel of the stargate. The following explosion killed the three marines beside the panel, and the flying shrapnel embedded itself into Riddick's hostage. Riddick himself was thrown back a good ten feet.

The control panel was smoking and sparking, and even though he wasn't any expert on technical devices, Riddick could tell that it wasn't going to work any time soon.

_Shit._

Getting to his feet, Riddick ran in the opposite direction of the approaching Atlantis team.

_Looks like I'm gonna have to make it in the woods after all. Fuck you, Johns._


	4. Trapped

The rest of the Atlantis team watched as Rodney worked on the control panel, a grim expression on each of their faces. Ronan had paced out the perimeter and found Riddick's tracks, but held back, on Sheppard's orders. No use chasing after someone without means of bringing them back.

"Well Rodney, are you gonna be able to fix this or what?" John asked, not bothering to hide his irritation.

The scientist looked up, glaring at John. "Look this isn't exactly easy, okay? Your friend managed to destroy the central processor, which affected the rest of the system's data by..."

"Look, I don't care what's wrong with it, Rodney. I just want you to fix it." John said again, his voice raising a hair. In all honesty, he knew that his friend was probably doing the best he could. He still wanted it done faster, though.

Teyla cleared her throat. "Perhaps it is best if we simply wait. When we do not check in, they will send a group after us, right?" Ronon grunted in agreement, arms folded over his chest.

Rodney sighed in slight exasperation. "That would be the case, but when our friend here decided to blow up the control panel, the shrapnel managed to damage the ring itself. And if that isn't working, they can't dial in." The rest of the group grew a bit more somber, as each began to realize the position they were in: trapped on a dead planet with a serial killer.

Ronon glanced around, then unfolded his arms, letting his right hand rest on the handle of his pistol. "I say we go after him," he said, still wanting to get the bastard.

"Just stay calm, Chewie," Sheppard said, turning to Ronon. "I'd like to figure out how long we are going to be here before help arrives first. Well, Rodney?"

"Look, it's not going to be any time soon. I'm using the parts from the busted control panel to try and patch the ring, but there's no guarantees," mumbled Rodney, his head hidden from view under the control panel once more.

John sighed. "Ok, now we can go after him. Head out." The rest of the team started out, leaving the remaining four marines to guard Rodney. "And if anybody approaches you, don't ask questions, just shoot it." John called over his shoulder to the marines. They responded with a quick salute, setting up in a full circle around the working scientist.

* * *

><p>Riddick watched the team move out, his place among the rubble hidden from view. Having realized that he wasn't being followed, he had turned around to figure out why. Now he watched as the team moved out, following his trail with impressive speed. Then again, he hadn't bothered with covering his tracks. He would have to be more conscious of that.<p>

Riddick sat down again, leaning his back against a broken wall, thinking. He was faced with a dilemma. He could either wait until the advancing team left, and kill the scientist, or try and attack the three heading out. The team were all capable of fighting, as far as he could tell, and would prove to be a challenge. One that was avoidable. On the other hand, if he killed the scientist, there was no way of getting off this rock.

_To the forest it is._

* * *

><p>Ronon stopped, bending down to study the trail, then straightened and turned to his companions. "Came through here. Let's go." Turning, and giving no more explanation, he strode on, with Teyla and John almost jogging to keep up. They had already been out for several hours, and the sun was sinking dangerously low in the sky. The days were longer here on Seteda, as Ronon had already informed them, but they still couldn't shake a small feeling of uneasiness at the thought of the dark.<p>

Ronon checked the ground again, then let out a low growl. Standing, he looked around carefully, eyes hard, yet still having a slight primal gleam. Having a few hours to cool off, he was thinking more rationally now, and a good part of him was once again enjoying the hunt of experienced prey.

"We're going in circles."

Teyla and John stopped short, with the latter visibly drooping his body. "What do you mean, circles?"

"Circles." Ronon said, looking straight at John. "He made a believable trail, went in a circle, then somehow snuck off."

"Like the creatures that inhabit my planet," said Teyla thoughtfully. She turned to John. "I believe you said they reminded you of, a _fox_?" Her face scrunched up slightly at the foreign word.

"Great. We are out hunting a human fox. This is just amazing," John muttered, rolling his weight back on his heels.

Ronon only grunted in response, then turned once again to find the real trail with more careful scrutiny. John followed, fatigue the main thing on his mind. Everything was foggy, and all he wanted to do was go back to Atlantis. _Why does this always happen to _my_ team? It's worse than a sci-fi TV show. _His muddled thoughts continued for another few minutes, and when he cleared his head, he felt something strange. Something was missing.

John turned his head, then spun his body around, as a cold numbness gripped his core. "Ronon!" he shouted, eyes wide, "What happened to Teyla?"

* * *

><p>The blow had taken her by surprise, and she had been knocked unconscious. At least, that's all she could remember, or piece together. The headache was affecting her ability to think clearly. She lay motionless, silently judging the condition of her body, testing her injuries. Everything felt well enough, aside from a few bruises. Those she could handle.<p>

Next she expanded her awareness to the environment, trying to pick up on anything useful. She was in a room, probably a cave, with a low temperature.

And she wasn't alone.

"I know you're awake." The gravelly voice sent chills down her spine, mostly from fear. She could hear the soft scuffing of feet as the stranger approached her from her right, closer to her head. Her hands and feet weren't bound, neither was she blindfolded. If she timed it right, she might be able to catch him off-guard. The sounds slowly got closer, and when it was within range, she struck. Rolling towards the enemy, she kicked on of her feet directly towards where she calculated the head would be.

A crushing grip caught her ankle, and then squeezed it until there was a slight pop. Teyla bit her tongue to avoid crying out, and her eyes sprung open.

Riddick dropped the limb, then knelt down low to look Teyla in the face.

"Hello, beautiful."


	5. Hostage

John and Ronon backtracked as far as they could, looking for something, that could be a sign of where Teyla had dissappeared to. It didn't take long before Ronon shouted at John.

"Over here! I found something!"

John ran to where his friend was standing. Covered by some bushes, it was hard to spot at first: a footprint, a bootprint really. It had sunk down a good bit more than the earlier prints that Ronon had pointed out.

"So, it's deeper." John said slowly, his mind trying to both accept and deny the looming solution before him.

"Yup." Ronon's answer was short and gruff.

"And that means..."

"He was carrying something. Something large. Like a body."

John closed his eyes for a moment, willing himself not to panic. Ronon waited until his friend had gained control once more, then nodded in the direction they were to travel.

* * *

><p>Rodney sat back, glaring at the ring before him. The guards had all moved a bit farther away, tired of being berated by the short and frustrated scientist. Wiping his forhead, McKay started once again, trying to find any way to make the ancient technology work. As much as he hated to admit it, he was scared. Scared of being trapped on a dead planet, and scared of the madman they were trying to take down.<p>

He shook his head. He didn't like the idea of trying to find a murderer. When he had asked John about it, their leader had just shrugged it off, saying that it was what Wier had commanded them to do. Which was true, he knew. But it still seemed stupid.

"Well, it's close. A little more time working on it and I should have it active again," he muttered to no one in particular. Glancing around at the guards still at a distance, he scoffed, then stood up. He needed to pee.

Rodney walked behind a nearby building. He didn't see the symbols on the stargate light up, or the tidal wave of energy that erupted from an unknown source.

* * *

><p>"I want this bounty off my head."<p>

Teyla stared at Riddick for a long moment, not daring to take her eyes off of him. In her head, she went through dozens of scenarios, different attacks and escape plans. But the pain in her ankle proved a sharp and constant reminder of the price of failure. No, unless the opportunity presented itself, escape at this point would not be worth the risk.

"You can't run on that ankle," continued Riddick, as if in response to her thoughts. "Next time I might not be so gentle."

Teyla was still unable to see the man's eyes through his dark welding goggles. She nodded slightly, shuddering, as she thought of the pain that this man could possibly bring about. It would appear that her whole team had underestimated him. He had been able to surprize, subdue, and capture her without alerting John or Ronon.

The thought of her team brought Teyla alert once more. They would have noticed her absence soon enough; what had happened to them? She threw a quick glance at the convict crouching before her. Had he subdued them as well?

"I haven't touched your team. Yet." Riddick growled.

Teyla glared slightly at him, irritated that her enemy was able to read her so well. Slowly she raised herself into a sitting position, eyes never leaving the man. Riddick stood and casually leaned against the cave wall behind him.

"Why did you not kill me?"

Riddick tilted his head slightly. "I honestly don't know. You have strong survival instinct. I admire that in a woman," he said, his gravelly voice filling the small chamber they were in. "It would be a shame to let your beauty go to waste."

Teyla felt a spark of fear shoot down her spine at the last comment. Unsure how it was supposed to be taken, she simply nodded. Riddick sneered slightly, then turned away.

"Besides," he continued, as he stared at the cave's enterance, "If you're alive, it'll be easier to convince your team to back off."

Tayla took a calming breath, allowing peace to flow over her once more. "So I am a hostage?"

Riddick glanced back at her, the predatory smile on his face once more. "Precisely."

Teyla started to nod an answer, but never finished the movement. The terrifying yet familiar sensation had suddenly filled her senses, and she couldn't move.

The wraith were coming.


	6. Wraith

John and Ronon followed the tracks as they ran along the base of a mountain. They had become easier to follow once they had gotten farther along; Riddick had been less worried about covering his tracks. He had been moving quickly.

By now the sun had almost completely dropped below the horizen, the twilight ebbing slowly from the face of the planet. John had called Rodney twenty minutes previous, telling him what had happened and warning that they might not be back until after dark.

"Any idea how close we are?" John asked, trying to ignore the burning in his legs. He couldn't afford to think about himself at this point; Teyla was in danger.

"Close. He's been carrying her for a while. Probably started getting tired. There's a few caves coming up in the distance, and I'll bet that's where he is."

John nodded, unable to say anything else. When he didn't respond, Ronon turned to face him. The sudden stop almost caused Sheppard to run into the larger man, and he took a few minutes to regain his balance. Ronon glared,

"How much have you had to drink, Sheppard?"

John looked at him quizzically. "I didn't take any beer on this trip."

Ronon growled. "I meant water."

"Oh." Said John, tilting his head to think. "I gave my canteen to one of the marines before we left. He had lost his, or something."

Ronon sighed, then pulled his lether water pouch off his back and shoved it into John's hands. "Drink.

"Are you sure..."

"Drink." Ronon repeated forcefully. "My planet has almost no humidity this time of year. You'll dehydrate extremely fast. Why do you think it is so easy for me to run on Atlantis?"

"Huh," muttered John, eyeing the leather pouch. "Reminds me of Arizona. I hated Arizona."

Ronon only grunted, then turned towards the fading light.

"Do you think she is still alive?"

John was surprised at his friends question. Ronon's face masked any emotion, but he could tell that the big man was worried. Slowly, he finished drinking, and handed the flask back to Ronon.

"I think so. He wouldn't have carried her so far if she was dead; he would have just left here there."

Ronon nodded, turning again. It wasn't much, but it had given him hope.

They waited a few more minutes for John's near delyrium to subside, then started again. The caves were only a short half-mile away, and they had almost reached them when the loud, eerie screams reached their ears.

Ronon and John turned towards each other, speaking at the same moment: "Darts."

* * *

><p>"Please, you must let me return to my team. We are all in danger!"<p>

The olive-skinned woman looked at him, pleading in her eyes. It looked like she was telling the truth, but he wasn't sure. _What danger would there be on this rock?_

He scowled at her, baiting his question. "Is that the best you can come up with?"

"You do not understand. I can sense when the Wraith are nearby. And there are many now approaching."

Riddick tilted his head slightly. "Wraith?

The woman looked at him with slight confusion. "We were told you had killed several in combat."

Riddick smiled, the primal smile. "Lady, I've killed many people. Could you be a little more specific?"

He watched as his captive shrank a bit at his unnerving comment. She was still scared of him. _Good._

"The wraith have long, white hair, and fang-like teeth," she said steadily, though she was shaking slightly. "They feed on people's life force through their right hands."

Riddick deepend his scowl once more. He remembered the type of people the woman was talking about now. Creature was closer to the truth. Once again he searched his captive's face for any sign of deciet, and once again he found none. Maybe she was telling the truth.

A distant noise, like that of a perpetual scream, reached his ears. Turning, he looked out the opening of the cave, removing the goggles as he did so. He could see probably half a dozen ships speeding around the sky. And they were headed in his direction. _Beautiful._

Turning back, he caught the woman's surprised look when she saw the slight reflection in his eyes. He grunted. "You were right." Taking long strides towards her, he grabbed her shoulder, pulling her to her feet. He caught the slight shift in her eyes, looking for a weakness on his part, but she did nothing. _Smart girl._

"What's your name?" he growled, leading her towards the door, making sure to keep her weight off of the injured ankle. No use traveling with a hostage that couldn't keep up.

"Teyla," she answered, slightly dazed.

"Time to leave, Teyla."


	7. Taken

"Rodney! Come in, over!"

John repeatedly shouted into his radio as he and Ronon ran the last distance towards the caves. There hadn't been any response from the scientist or marines since he and Ronon had first heard the darts. They didn't allow themselves to dwell on the sombering thought.

Ronon sprinted the last few feet to the cave, weapon drawn. After a slight pause, he swung around the corner, ready for a fight. The cave was empty.

Glancing around, Ronon spotted several scuff-marks where there was a bit of dirt. Someone, or something, had just recently been here. And left. Probably Teyla and Riddick.

"You've got to be joking," John groaned as he rounded the corner. Frustration was setting in on the young man's face. Ronon merely grunted. He had been studying the tracks on the ground, and something wasn't right. Teyla's tracks were uneven, and directly beside those of Riddick. Either she walked the exact same pattern as him, or they were walking together. And either way, she was limping.

Standing, the Satedan motioned towards the direction the tracks led. It was no use explaining what he saw to John; his friend wasn't doing well under the current circumstances. No need to add to his stress or worry. If Teyla was walking, that meant that she was still alive. However, something akin to jealousy tugged at Ronon's emotions, about how close Teyla was to this killer, before he forced it away. That wouldn't help matters either.

"This way. We should catch them soon."

* * *

><p>Teyla bit her tongue to avoid wimpering as they continued on at a very rapid pace. At least, to her it felt rapid. The pain in her ankle hadn't let up any, though Riddick was supporting the majority of her weight. She shot a quick glance once again at the stoic face.<p>

He was something of a mystery, a puzzle. On one hand, he made it painfully clear that she was his hostage. On the other hand, he was leaving himself completely open simply to help her walk. Just that fact seemed strange to her.

And his eyes. His eyes were the most beautiful, and scariest, things about him. They seemed to reflect light, as many nocturnal creatures did. It also explained why he had been wearing the welding goggles during the day; the sunlight would have hurt his eyes.

A misstep and searing pain brought Teyla back to the present moment, and caused her to gasp involuntarily. Riddick's eyes shifted towards her, and Teyla felt her skin tingle slightly once again at the sight of their reflection. The light was almost completely gone, and she could only make out colorless shapes of the world around her.

"Keep moving."

Riddick's rough command reminded Teyla that he was in fact still her enemy, and not to be taken lightly. Still, she couldn't help but notice that they seemed to stay on the smoothest parts of the trail, under his guidence.

"I must stop. Please, Riddick, I need to rest," Teyla panted. Normally she hated to show weakness, even to her friends, but the pain in her ankle and her own fatigue had become stronger than her ego.

Riddick looked at her, but kept moving. "Your team is half a mile behind us, and moving faster. We aren't stopping."

Teyla said nothing, but a few moments later stopped, refusing to move. Her ankle had started to swell now, though only slightly. She couldn't put any weight on it at all.

Riddick turned towards her once more, gleaming eyes now in the shape of a glare. Before she could offer any excuse, he picked her up with ease and continued on. Teyla felt blood rush to her cheeks as she was pressed up against his large chest. Logically, she knew she should try and strike out against him, as he would find it very hard to defend himself from her. However, something held her back. Whether it was the fear of him dropping her, or something else, she couldn't say for sure. But something felt different around this mysterious man.

* * *

><p>"Look out!"<br>John's cry was just barely heard before stun-blasts erupted from the trees beside them. He turned, took a step back for balance, and calmly squeezed the trigger. A spray of bullets from the P-90 took down several of the advancing Wraith, while Ronon's blaster punched holes in the remaining creatures. The entire firefight lasted less than ten seconds.

John quickly reloaded, eyes scanning the trees for any more Wraith. They were relatively safe from the darts, if they stayed within the treeline. However, it also made it easier for the Wraith to hide and attempt to ambush them. He glanced at Ronon, judging the big man's reactions. Something had been bothering him for the last few minutes, something he hadn't shared. Normally John would just ask, but now didn't seem like the appropriate, or most convinient, time.

Lost in his thoughts, he never saw the stun-blast arching towards him.

* * *

><p>Riddick watched the ensuing fight from his vantage point high on the hill. Teyla had lost consciousness a few minutes ago, the pain from her ankle and lack of water taking their toll. She had lasted much longer than he had expected. Once she was out, Riddick had set her down. No use carrying a human deadweight around.<p>

His eyes showed him the fight going on below. The two men from Teyla's group were being attacked by twelve or so of the creatures they called the Wraith. Riddick's eyes narrowed slightly, then widened again as the two men easily won. _Even stronger than I thought. Interesting. Teyla kept mumbling the name _Ronon_ when she was fading in and out. Wonder which one he is..._

The next wave was coming up behind, but the men didn't notice. The smaller man went down first, a single shot finding it's mark at the base of his neck. The larger man was able to kill several more Wraith, before several shots subdued him.

As the two men were being carried away, Riddick turned, focusing his attention on the sleepin woman. He sauntered over, taking his time, before taking her ankle and relocating the bone once more. Almost immediately the slight swelling began to subside, and Teyla let out a small sigh of relief. _When she wakes up, she'll be able to walk on it again. No use having a hostage anymore. _Looking over his shoulder, he saw several of the small ships and creatures heading his way. _Must know she's here. Not my problem._

He hesitated a moment, taking one more look at the Athosian. He slowly reached out a hand towards her cheek, before growling at himself and pulling away, disappearing into the night.


	8. Reasons

John woke slowly, trying to shake the grogginess from his head. Even before he completely opened his eyes, he knew where he was. A holding cell in a Wraith ship, once again. In all honesty, he had lost count of the number of times he had been in one of these things. It never did get any more comfortable, however.

"Glad you're finally awake." Ronon's voice shook him from his thoughts. John stretched his arms, trying to work out the soreness that always accompanied being stunned. The big man stayed sitting, having already been awake for quite some time.

"So, I guess we lost, huh?" John asked his friend, giving him a slightly sheepish look. Ronon grunted, nodding.

Several sets of footsteps came down the hall, causing both John and Ronon to stand, prepaired. Six Wraith guards rounded the corner, carrying an unconscious Rodney. Ronon growled softly. He still had several hidden knives that the Wraith hadn't found, and was waiting for the right moment to use them.

The guards tossed Rodney in the cell, then left without a word. The two men looked at their scientist friend, then slowly sat back down, getting comfortable once again.

"Why are we chasing him?"

John turned at the sudden question. Ronon's gaze was steady and even, and confused. "I mean, I know he's a killer and all. But why were we sent to try and find him?"

John tensed slightly, and Ronon noticed a defensive wall immediately going up.

"You didn't seem to bothered by the lack reasons earlier."

Ronon shrugged. "That was earlier. This is now."

John started to look a bit nervous. "Why does it matter?"

"It matters because of Teyla." Ronon growled, his face becoming slightly more animated. He stared at John until the man broke eye contact. He fidgeted a few minutes longer before answering.

"Weir was told that we could be supplied with a ZPM if we could catch this guy," he finally muttered.

Ronon leaned his head back, letting it hit the wall behind him. He only grunted in response.

"Ow," moaned Rodney, as he finally began to wake. "Why the hell were there any Wraith on that planet?"

"Well, welcome to the party." John quipped, his usual sarcasm back in place.

Rodney looked around, still a bit dazed, then glanced at Ronon. "Where's Teyla?"

* * *

><p>He was gone.<p>

Teyla sat as still as she could, hugging the wall of the small shelter she awoke under. She could still hear the darts screaming through the air as they searched for prey. It was enough to keep her from moving. The moon was starting to rise in the sky, barely giving light to the dark surroundings. He was gone.

She had noticed her ankle almost immediately, the lack of searing pain and major swelling. It was a bit sore now, and still larger than the other, but nothing that would hinder her anymore. How it had been healed so quickly she did not know.

He was gone. Teyla shook her head once more as the unwelcome thought entered. It was foolish to wish that the man who had kidnapped her was back. Yet she couldn't shake the notion that she had felt much safer when he needed her alive.

A dart screamed overhead, causing Teyla to catch her breath. It circled around twice, then slowed, dipping low to the ground a few dozen meters away. Light shone from an unseen source at the front of the craft, and six Wraith soldiers were teleported to the ground. As soon as they landed, the began spreading out, searching through the surrounding forrest.

Teyla breathed deeply, willing herself control. It was only a matter of seconds before the closest one saw her. She tensed her muscles, waiting for the right moment to move.

The moment never came.

A call went up from an unseen voice in the forest, followed almost immediately by another. Two more sounded a few moments later. The Wraith form near her stopped, unsure how to procede. The choice was taken from it as a dark form slipped up soundlessly, producing a shiv and slitting the creature's throat.

"Riddick!" Teyla called out before she could catch herself.

The form froze, teal eyes glinting, as they stared straight at her. A low growl rose from his throat. "Knew I was too close to where I started. Damn woods."

Without warning he turned and moved with great speed towards the treeline once again. Teyla sprung after him, running with all her might. His form disappeared into the dark forrest, with her plunging in a moment later. Branches and leaves slapped against her as her feet barely missed the rocks along the ground. She could barely see anything now.

Teyla slowed, then stopped, realizing she had lost the man. Fear was beginning to creep back into her mind. Shadows danced around her, shifting and changing as her eyes tried to adjust to the extreme darkness.

"Please, do not leave me!" she called, angered by the helplessness in her voice. But it was all she could do now. "I can help you."

"How?"

The deep voice sent relief flooding through her veins, even if she couldn't see him. She turned several times, searching for it's origin, but once again found nothing.

"Can your sense tell me exactly where these things are?"

Teyla paused a moment, evaluating her response. "No, only when they are nearby."

"Then you can't help me."

"I can get you off of this planet. And call my team off the chase." she said, grabbing towards anything the man might be interested in. For a moment, there was only silence.

"Interesting."


	9. Reunited

"I thought you said you had a plan."

Riddick and Teyla had moved through the forrest, and were now on the outskirts of the city. A few dozen Wraith moved about, some walking through the stargate. The were all armed, and neither Teyla nor Riddick had any kind of ranged weapon.

"I just told you the plan." Teyla replied absentmindedly as she watched the enemy.

Riddick leaned against a tree beside her. "That isn't a plan. That's suicide."

"It will work. We need my team to help us escape these Wraith, and to do that we must be reunited with them."

"So we are going to escape the Wraith, by being caught by the Wraith," Riddick said, nodding sarcastically. "Sounds like a dumb idea, even to a guy educated in the Penal system."

When she didn't answer, he stood. "If the plan is to get caught, then why not just walk out there?" He started walking before she could answer, breaking the treeline towards the outer rim of the city.

Instantly there was commotion, and Teyla resisted the urge too slap her palm to her forhead. They were supposed to stage an attack, to pretend to be unsuspecting. Not to look like they were trying to get caught. The last thing they needed was for the Wraith to suspect something. Unfortunately, it was too late at this point to remedy her new companion's mistake. She walked out after him.

Several rows of soldiers met them, weapons raised. Teyla raised her hands submissively.

"Please, we do not wish to..."

Multiple stunner shots drowned out the end of her statement. Teyla instinctively shrunk back, waiting for the concussive energy to hit. Instead, however, Riddick stepped in front of her. She saw three blasts hit him directly in the chest, causing his face to distort in a strong grimace. The fourth brough him to his knees, the fith removing him from consciousness. Teyla followed immediately after.

* * *

><p>The room was dark, musky. Almost like a cave, but not quite. He could sense life all around him, as if the walls themselves were breathing.<p>

It was creepy as hell.

The woman was still asleep beside him. Unconscious was more precise. Good to know these people, or things, didn't use lethal force. Yet.

Riddick sat back against the wall, weighing his options. They had taken his goggles and shiv; that was a nuisence. He could see outside their cell towards the different tunnels. At least it stayed relatively dark in here.

Where in the hell was "here" anyways? His first impression was still a cave. But the whole thing seemed to be alive. His eyes could see the life pass through the walls, floor, even the bars that made up their room. A giant tree? Maybe.

No use speculating until the woman woke up. Stupid plan, getting caught. Last time he was gonna be listening to her advice.

* * *

><p>A commotion caught the prisoner's attention, and a group of Wraith soldiers rounded the corner approaching the cell. Ronon tensed, while John and McKay both stood up. The leader opened the bars as the rest raised thier weapons.<p>

"You are to attend a conference with the queen," he said evenly.

John frowned. "As nice as that sounds, I'm gonna have to say no. Busy schedule and all."

The Wraith smiled. "Then you are invited to attend with one or both or your arms missing. The choice is yours."

Ronon, John and Rodney glanced at each other, _since when did the Wraith get a sense of humor?_, then slowly made their way out of the cell.

"Damn," John groaned. "I hate the queens."

* * *

><p>When Teyla awoke, she was being dragged by her shoulders through the halls of a Wraith cruiser. A quick glance showed six wraith accompanying both her and Riddick, who was still out cold. Too many to fight without him.<p>

They were brought into an open room, still dimly lit and cold. John, Ronan and Rodney were being escorted in on the other side, causing Teyla to sigh in relief. None seemed to be hurt too badly, though Rodney was complaining under his breath and giving dirty looks to the guards. John gave her his lopsided smile, as if to say "Well, good to see you too."

As soon as they stopped moving, a flury of motion erupted from beside her. Riddick had stood, pulling his escorts off balance and took one of their weapons. The rest of the team dove for the ground as Riddick opened fire on the wraith, holding a now unconscious soldier as a shield. He had the eighteen soldier escort whittled down to five, until dozens more began to pour into the room, surrounding him. Teyla instinctively shut her eyes.

"Enough."


	10. The Queen

The room grew immidiately quiet, and even Riddick paused in his attack. Ronon, who had begun attacking the newer wraith, turned quickly towards the origin of the voice. There, standing in the doorway, was the hive queen.

"Damn," whispered Sheppard.

The queen strode into the room, dark eyes taking in everything and a cruel smile perpetually on her face. "The Atlantis team," she breathed. "We've heard so much about you. Especially the former Runner. Very impressive," she added as she faced Ronon. The Satedan's glare deepened but he said nothing.

"But who is this?" she asked coyly, walking in Riddick's direction. In the dimmer lights, his eyes seemed to gleam brightly as he stared back at her, still holding the now-dead wraith soldier. He released his shield and stood straight. "Name's Riddick. Escaped convict. Murderer."

The queens eyes lit up at his improvised title, and Ronon got an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Teyla still stood near Riddick, leaning in towards him slightly. She was, Ronon guessed, prepaired to give aid if the queen were to try and read Riddick's mind, though he was completely unsure as to why either would bother.

"You seem like the kind of man who would enjoy being with our kind. We could have some use for your special talents." She was standing within a foot of Riddick now. The man's expression never changed.

"Not interested. I don't work for nobody."

The queens eyes narrowed. "Join us, and we will give you life unending."

Riddick's head tilted to the side.

"Interesting."

* * *

><p>The queen smiled. "And all the power that you could want."<p>

_There's always a catch. It's never that easy, _he thought grimly.

"And what do you want in return for this?" Riddick asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Your worship."

Riddick tensed, features becoming hard as he digested her words.

_Unending life is one hell of an idea. But worship? Fuck that. Not even eternal life is worth submitting my life to someone else. Johns would love you, lady..._

"Not interested. I bow to nobody."

The queen's smile dropped for the first time, and her teeth clenched together. "You will bow, whether you like it or not. All of you," she said, sweeping her eyes across the room. Immediately the wraith soldiers dropped to their knees, followed a bit after by John and Rodney. Ronon resisted as much as he could, but eventually was forced to his knees as well. Teyla held out the longest, before being forced to the ground.

The pressure inside Riddick's skull was enormous. He could feel it moving around, probing almost.

_This crazy bitch is trying to mind fuck me?_

His legs attempted to buckle several times, but Riddick locked them out with a snarl. The queen glared at him, focusing all her energy onto the man standing before her. Riddick shook from exertion, a trickle of blood running out from his nose, but remained standing.

Finally, after what had seemed like hours, the queen's assault on his brain diminished, and she stumbled backwards a few feet. One of the higher ranking wraith reached out a hand to steady her, which she slapped away.

"Feed on all of them but this one," she growled, glaring at Riddick. "Torture him in any way you find possible."

* * *

><p>Teyla watched in amazement from the ground as Riddick continued to stand despite the queens efforts. As the attack finished, she found herself able to stand, though she had a bit of a headache from attempting to resist.<p>

"Torture him in anyway you find possible."

The words, along with the order to have her fed upon, seized Teyla's throught in a cold hand. The soldiers began moving in again, and Riddick, exhausted after the battle he had just won, simply watched.

"Wait."

The voice took even the queen by surprise. Teyla attempted to see over the surrounding wraith, and when she succeded, she was taken back. Todd stood in traditional wraith clothing, a small smile playing on his features.

"Earth is still a prime feeding ground. We should extract the knowledge about it from them before killing them." He turned to Riddick. "Even that one."

The queen glared. "Are you questioning my judgement?"

Todd bowed. "Not at all, my queen. But this opportunity may not arise for a while yet, and we do have the capabilities now."

Teyla wasn't sure what he meant by that. Regarding Todd, she was never quite sure if he was on their side or if it benefitted him to oppose them.

* * *

><p>An ominous clanking sound echoed towards the group. The wraith stood still, waiting, as Ronon tried to figure out a plan of escape. Nothing was forthcoming, of course, but it was preferrable to simply waiting to die.<p>

Their whole predicament took a twist, however, when a Replicator rounded the corner. The machine wasn't in prime condition; it was hooked up to a generator for power, with weights on it's feet and only one arm remaining. But it was still enough to cause both the surrounding wraith and the team to step back a bit.

Todd smiled. "Remodeled, of course, but still a beauty."

Riddick tilted his head, staring at the thing, and Teyla leaned in to whisper to him. He nodded slightly, but when her hand rested on his forearm, he leveled her with a look that caused her to back up a step. Ronon watched the exchange play out, and forced himself not to feel anything.

"He also retains one of his most useful features," continued Todd. He turned to the queen. "Shall I?"

She nodded her approval, though obviously not happy about it. Todd gave command to the machine, and it brokenly walked toward Riddick. The waith and Teyla all backed away, until the machine and he stood relatively alone. Todd stood beside Ronon, a bit too close for the Satedan's comfort.

Without preamble or warning, the remaining arm of the Replicator rose and plunged two fingers into Riddick's forehead.


	11. Mind of Riddick

They had somehow escaped.

Riddick was irritated with himself that he couldn't seem to remember how. They had left him by one of those rings again, giving him the coordinates to get back to New Mecca.

But something wasn't right.

He looked around the dead planet once more, warning alarms screaming in his head, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Turning to the light haired man beside him, he nodded. The man smiled. "Ready to go home?"

Riddick frowned. "Not my home."

The man's smile faltered a bit, and he shifted his feet. "Well nuances aside, shall we proceed?"

Riddick nodded, taking a deep breath.

No smell.

_I can smell anyone. He's got nothing. Not even the smell of life itself._

As realization came, the imagery around him faded into an uneven blue and white background. All around him was swirling, soothing blue with wisps of white, smoke like designs shifting and dancing endlessly.

The light haired man, stood before him, his face no longer amiable. It wasn't long before the pieces were put together.

_The thing can read my mind. Or he tried. That's new._

The machine was no longer broken in his head, but looked exactly as a human would. It stared at Riddick for a long time, before relaxing slightly.

"Your ability to resist is impressive," it said evenly.

Riddick gave a predatory smile. "You have no idea."

* * *

><p>"Here."<p>

Todd's voice was almost inaudible, and nobody but Ronon noticed. The wraith held the man's blaster out to him as far as he could without being seen. Ronon grabbed the weapon and slid it under his coat expertly, while the rest of the room's occupants stared at the two in the middle of the floor.

Teyla shifted her weight, and Ronon caught the look in her eye; it was the same fear he shared. Would this man know of the planet Earth, which Sheppard and McKay had desperately been trying to hide?

Suddenly, everything began to move.

* * *

><p>"Where am I?"<p>

The machine took a moment before answering. "In your own mind. In the place where your memories are stored." He walked a few feet, touching one of the cloud-like formations. Instantly Riddick was five years old once more, cowering under the heavy hand of his foster parent, as she beat him with anything she could lay hands on.

"How many damn times do I have to tell you? Don't spill your goddamn milk!" she screeched, at this point holding a rolling pin as a weapon.

The memory stopped as suddenly as it had begun, leaving Riddick's heart and mind racing. His expression never faltered, and he tilted his head.

"So we are in my mind, right?"

The machine looked slightly exasperated. "Yes, we are in your mind."

Riddick smirked. "That means we play by my rules."

And without warning, he jumped at the replicator.

* * *

><p>The machine seemed to fry itself before everyone's eyes, face twisting into a horrific grimace before it shot backwards, yanking its hand from Riddick's forehead and falling to the ground. Convulsions rocked its body for a moment, and then it lay still.<p>

Teyla watched as everything moved forward in slow motion. Ronon had pulled out his gun and was shooting as many of the wraith as he could. Todd had pulled out his own stunner, and was firing alongside of Ronon. Soon they stood alone in the room, the wraith Queen vanished from sight, and Riddick still standing in a daze.

Ronon didn't wait for an invitation. He raised his blaster and shot Riddick straight in the chest.


	12. Escape

It took two shots for the big man to fall, prompting Ronon to fire a third, just in case. He turned quickly back to the group. "Is everyone alright?"

"I believe I am unharmed," said Teyla, slowly. "John? Rodney?"

"Yeah, we're good," grunted John, helping a visibly shaken Rodney to his feet. He glanced over at the still form of Riddick. "Did you kill him?" he asked warily, shooting Ronon a look.

The Satedan glared back. "No. He has to be alive so you can have your ZPM, right?" he spat.

"Hey, I'm not exactly happy about how this went down either," John said, voice agitated. "Weir only told me that a criminal was going to be brought in. I didn't know we were trying to hunt down a damn ghost. Apparently, she didn't give me the whole story," he muttered, more to himself than Ronon.

Teyla turned to John. "You mean we are trading this man's life for a ZPM?" she asked. Her voice was even, but Ronon could tell she was unhappy.

John half-shrugged. "Look, as much as I'd like to have this heartfelt conversation, I'd also like to do it when we aren't on a Wraith ship." Ronon nodded, reaching down and hoisting Riddick onto his shoulders.

"Perhaps you would like some assistance in that area?" a low voice asked. The group turned, Ronon pulling his gun out despite the weight of another body. Todd stood at the other side of the room, looking slightly out of breath for a Wraith.

John cocked his head. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

"I've been able to sabotage their life sensors, for a short period. I'll pick you up in a dart, and land on the nearest planet with a stargate. Unless, of course, you object to this plan?"

"Actually, yes, I do," Sheppard quipped. Ronon kept his gun pointed at Todd, and tersely shook his head.

"I thought you might," drawled the Wraith, smiling slightly. "It is, however, the best chance you have. There isn't much time to decide."

John hesitated for a moment, and then turned. "Let's go. Teyla, cover us from behind, and I'll keep the right. Follow Todd."

"Wait, you can't be serious!" exclaimed Rodney, grabbing John by the arm. "You are actually going to trust him? I mean, no offense," he added, facing Todd.

"We don't exactly have a lot of options, Rodney," John growled. "Unless you want to stay on the ship and take your chances with the Wraith, I say we need to get moving!"

"Oh, well, when you put it that way…" mumbled Rodney, grudgingly following John. Ronon and Teyla brought up the rear, with Riddick still flung over the big man's shoulders.

It didn't take long to reach the dart hanger. Todd chose the least damaged pod, and activated it. "I'll circle around and pick you up," he said as he climbed in. "Stand in the middle of the walkway." With that, he closed the cap. The dart began to power up, and with a small scream it took off, circling around the room.

"Well, here goes nothing," muttered John, gathering his teammates close around him in the walkway.

"I believe, "Here goes everything", might be more appropriate," breathed Teyla. The dart swooped towards them, a blue light scanning the ground beneath. Then blackness.

* * *

><p>Riddick woke with a start, causing the creature to turn sharply towards him. A splitting headache came the next second, and he had a hard time focusing on the enemy.<p>

_Shit. And no shiv. At least it's dark; I need to find more goggles._

"It is unusual for someone to awaken so soon after being released," the creature commented, smiling. "You are a remarkable creature. I understand now how you resisted both the queen and the replicator."

"Todd, right?" Riddick asked, voice low.

"Observant. Yes, they call me Todd. And you are Riddick, the man needed for a ZPM."

Riddick shrugged, relaxing back against a rock. It was clear that if this creature had wanted to hurt any of them, he would have done so by now. The question was why hadn't he?

"How come you didn't ghost us?" he asked, tilting his head.

"If by 'ghost' you mean feed on, then the reason is simple. They are resources of mine, and have come in useful. Keeping them alive, and as potential allies, gives me an advantage over many others." Todd answered smoothly. "Why don't you, as you say, 'ghost' them?"

Riddick's eyes glanced at Teyla for a moment, then shot back to Todd. "Don't know," he said, smirking. "Don't feel like it."

Todd smiled, nodding. "Very well. It is time I left. As your kind says, 'good luck'." With that, the tall alien climbed back into the dart. The engine began to scream as it rose above the ground, shooting into the sky. Riddick smirked again, watching him go.

_Not bad. Wouldn't mind that race, if it weren't for the queen bitch._

Riddick stood, walking around the bodies and working on his next step. He noticed Ronon's gun holstered at the man's side, and quickly took it. Absently, he began to play with the controls.

_Don't want to try that ring again. Who knows what the hell I'll run into next. Just have them drop me off in New Mecca again; I can find my way from there. Trade me for a ZPM… so that's what Johns was so intent on getting. Wonder if they'll still want it if they know how much blood it created._

_Wonder if she'll want it._


	13. Fight!

Riddick had left the sleeping Atlantians shortly, after waiting nearly an hour for them to wake up. Whatever had happened to them, they were out cold. After searching around the immediate surroundings, he found a small village a short distance away. The people had been friendly enough, and he had been able to lift a set of protective glasses some people had left lying around. They weren't as good as welding goggles, but it was better than nothing.

The sun had begun to rise, and he could feel the temperature lifting to a comfortable level. Several trees surrounded where the group had been dropped off, all golden-yellow in appearance with leaves falling slowly to the ground. All in all, not a bad place to be temporarily stranded.

As he turned the corner, several things happened simultaneously. First, his brain registered that something was definitely wrong; there were only three bodies sprawled on the ground, when there should have been four. A strong odor attacked his nose, causing him to glance quickly to his right. The movement saved his life, as he barely dodged being stabbed by Ronon. The dreadlocked man threw a kick, missing Riddick, but knocking the blaster free of his reach. The convict spun and faced his attacker, blocking an attack and jamming his fingers into the Satedan's wrist. The knife went flying, and Riddick smirked.

_Rookie mistake, leaving 'em unguarded. This could get interesting._

* * *

><p>Ronon struck, leaping forward with his blade pointed at the big man's neck. At the last possible moment, his target dodged, and Ronan felt himself begin to overextend. He twisted, kicking towards Riddick's midsection to counterbalance. The man moved, and his foot connected with the blaster, sending it flying from his enemies reach. <em>Close enough.<em>

His next attack was blocked, and Ronon saw his own weapon leave his grasp. He quickly dodged as Riddick went on the offensive, dancing around his blows and returning with several of his own. It became immediately clear, however, that the fight was largely mismatched. For all his strength, Ronon couldn't seem to overpower his opponent. The fight reminded him vaguely of his sparring match with Teal'c, but worse. Riddick seemed to match the older alien's strength, but his speed matched Ronon's hit for hit. A few minutes into the fight, the Satedan realized that he was going to lose.

* * *

><p>Riddick continued attacking, carefully driving his opponent in a wide circle. He had landed several strong blows to the man's head and torso, but so far, none of them seemed to have any effect. <em>Tough bastard, I'll give him that. No wonder Johns wanted him on me, <em>Riddick mused, catching a fist and ramming his own into the man's nose. The effect was minimal.

_Doesn't seem to be aware during the fight. Strong, but tunnel vision. Attacks are becoming predictable. Side kick should be coming right about… now._

Riddick grabbed the foot mid-air, then used the momentum to throw Ronon behind him into a tree. The man immediately jumped up and started forward, only to stop again as the blaster was pointed into his face.

Riddick stood, unreadable, as his thumb brushed over the stun/kill switch. Ronon grunted. "What're you waiting for?"

"Trying to decide whether or not keeping you alive is in my best interests," answered Riddick, flicking the switch. "Goodnight."

* * *

><p>Teyla awoke slowly, squeezing her eyes against the inevitable headache. The first thing she noticed was the ground beneath her back; Todd had not betrayed them after all. Glancing towards the horizon, she noted the bright pink sheen on the clouds.<p>

"It'll be morning soon."

The voice was enough to make her jump, spinning directly into Riddick. The large man quirked an eyebrow, arms crossed as Teyla quickly retreated. She glanced around, noting the bodies of her companions as they were spread about her. Burn marks on all of their clothing betrayed the peaceful atmosphere, and she felt bile rise in her throat. Turning, she pointed an accusatory finger at Riddick. "Y-you… you did this?"

Riddick glanced around, shrugging. "Not a bad weapon," he said dryly, indicating Ronon's blaster he had tucked in his waistband. "Not as much fun as using a shiv, but works all the same."

Teyla gritted her teeth as an uncharacteristic rage came over her. With a shout, she leapt towards the man, striking at is head. The man easily dodged her attack, bringing his fist quickly up into her ribs. Teyla's vision went blurry for a moment as she felt and heard several of them crack, and she stumbled back. Attacking again, she swung her leg low, trying to catch the man off balance.

For a moment, it appeared to have worked. Riddick shifted his feet to avoid the swing, and Teyla shot her other leg towards his groin. Just as she was about to make impact, he was gone, and her leg painfully hyperextended. Before she could cry out in pain, a hand reached around her from behind and clenched around her throat, cutting off her air supply. Riddick turned her towards him, lifting her feet off the ground, with his other hand holding a shiv dangerously close to her heart.

A predatory grin filled his face, and his gleaming eyes seemed to have a darker hue. "Strong survival instinct," he said, his deep voice reverberating inside Teyla's increasingly foggy brain. Fear and adrenaline filled her as she clawed at the offending hand, and a morbid excitement danced up and down her spine as her vision tunneled around his face. She felt the blade press against her breast, the point digging into exposed flesh.

"But you need to wake up."

* * *

><p>Teyla shot awake, gasping for breath, before the pounding headache forced her to lie down again. She felt somebody place their hand on her forehead, and in a moment of panic she struck out. She heard a soft grunt, and more hands grabbed her wrists, holding her down. Something was ringing in her ears, and it took her a moment to recognize her name.<p>

"…eyla? Teyla! Snap out of it!" John's voice startled her, and she stopped struggling. Slowly opening her eyes, she looked up at her three companions, feeling relief flood her veins.

_Just a dream…_

"Hey, are you alright?" asked Rodney, concern etched across his face. Teyla offered a small smile, still grimacing against the headache. "I am fine, Rodney, thank you. It was merely dream," she said, taking a long breath to control her panting.

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but real life isn't exactly fantastic either," John said dryly, glaring at Riddick. The big man didn't appear to be listening as he sat on a rock opposite the group. Teyla felt the familiar mixture of fear an excitement surge through her, before forcefully and angrily shutting it down. Enough was enough.

"Glad you're finally awake," Riddick deadpanned, smirking at Teyla's returning scowl. Riddick raised an eyebrow, but remained silent.

"I want you to take me back to New Mecca. I've run across some crazy psycho-fuck things, but your group is the worst." Riddick grunted, nodding towards the ring a short distance away.

"And if we don't?" asked Ronon with his arms crossed, staring defiantly at the man.

"He's holding a gun; do you really need to ask that?" Rodney snapped, glaring at Ronon. For once, both Teyla and John agreed with the scientist. Riddick only smiled.

"Here's how it will work. You open the gate; I walk in with one of you. If it's the right place, I'll let you walk back through. If not, I'll kill you and walk back through myself. We clear?"

"I suppose so," John spoke up, stepping forward from his group. "One condition."

"And that is?"

"I'm the first one that goes with you through that gate."

Riddick smiled. "Deal."


	14. Atlantis Again

"What is the latest on Col. Shepard? Is there anything back from Sateda?" Weir asked, pacing up and down beside Radek Zelinka. The smaller scientist shook his head, muttering and cursing in Czech.

"Nothing since we sent them. I've tried dialing the gate, but it will not respond."

"Which could only mean a few things," continued Weir, speaking to herself more than the scientist. "Either something is wrong with the gate, and it is impossible to connect…"

"Or it is already in a connection." Finished Zelinka. "However, it has been more than twelve hours. It is highly unlikely that the gate was dialed for that long. We have to assume that it is either malfunctioned or damaged. Either way, it will be impossible to connect through-"

"Dr. Zelinka! We have a connection!" one of the scientists called as the gate began to light up. The two stared in wonder as the dialed sequence went into effect.

"B-but that's impossible!" sputtered the Czech, as Weir's face drained of color.

"Not unless whoever dialed the gate purposely kept it open to prevent others from connecting. Just like the wraith do," she breathed. Turning, she grabbed the radio. "Beckett, standby immediately for medical attention at the gate. We may have serious injuries."

"Aye, ma'am," came the doctor's curt reply.

"Lorne, I need you and however many marines are actively ready to cover the gate. Immediately, if not sooner."

"Yes ma'am," came the reply.

"I want this gate locked, and keep the shields up until we know what we are dealing with." She said to Zelinka, who only nodded and continued typing.

Within minutes, Lorne and thirty marines arrived at the gate, guns drawn. Weir nodded, and the security camera above the ring was accessed. The picture showed nothing but barren wasteland, accented by burned out buildings and rocks. Weir stared the picture, gripping the handrail nearest to her.

_It's too late; the wraith were already here…_

"We have another incoming call. Someone is trying to access our stargate." Muttered the smaller scientist, pulling up another camera.

Lorne looked up, feeling his mouth go dry. They could clearly see Shepard standing with an unknown man just before the gate, with the rest of the team a good twenty feet behind. The larger man had his back to them, angling his body to easily see both John and the rest of the team.

He was also holding Ronon's blaster.

"What do you want us to do?" asked Lorne, glancing at Weir. The woman shook her head slowly, unsure herself.

"Allow them to come through. I don't know what John is doing, but we need to assume that this is Richard B. Riddick, and that John is bringing him here intentionally." She turned to the marine. "Lorne, have all your guns trained on the gate. If he so much as twitches, kill him."

"Yes ma'am," he replied, as the rest of the men lifted their weapons. Holding his breath, Zalinka let down the shield.

* * *

><p>In retrospect, Riddick should have known it was be a bit too easy. Sure, walking through the vortex was a trip again, as being in a wormhole and surrounded by space is a bit unnerving. The gun was held to John's head if this was a trap.<p>

Which, of course, it was.

They stepped into a building. That was the only thought Riddick had as he was about to pull the trigger; obviously this wasn't New Mecca. The sound of the stargate closing behind him, however, made him pause, and he noticed his surroundings.

_Thirty men, P90's on all of them. Fuck, I shoulda seen this coming. They won't kill me; I'm worth more alive. I wonder if it would be worth the risk to kill this mother fucker…_

John hadn't moved an inch. Riddick glanced at him, and then up again as a woman made her way down the stairs and towards the group. The marines moved slightly to give her room to walk forward, stopping ten feet from him.

_She's in charge. Keeps trying to look tough for me, but she won't stop lookin' at this guy. She likes him._

"Tell your dogs to drop the guns," Riddick said, "Or I'll kill your boyfriend here."

The woman looked startled for a moment, eyes dancing between the convict and the hostage as she deliberated an answer.

"We are not interested in killing you, Riddick. However, if you do harm my men, I will give the order to fire. Your payday is not worth my people," she responded coolly.

_Huh. Must have pegged her wrong. Or she'd really be mad if I killed the guy. What the hell; let 'em take me. Wherever I end up going, I'll get out._

Riddick smirked, dropping the gun as John quickly moved out of reach.

"Smart man," the woman quipped, still glaring daggers at him. He smiled in response, causing her glare to deepen. "My name is Director Weir, and welcome to Atlantis. If you'll kindly come with us, we have a place already made out for you: behind bars."

"I can't wait," he deadpanned, voice still low. The guards led him down several corridors before coming to another room. Inside was a circular prison cell with a force field surrounding the bars. He walked in and turned, still smiling as the door was shut and everyone left the room.

_And now we wait. Bet you can't wait to see me like this, Johns._

* * *

><p>The rest of the team was let through the gate soon afterwards, and went to the infirmary for the post-mission checkup. Rodney and John were released after a quick exam and pronounced healthy while Ronon and Teyla remained behind, much to their mutual irritation.<p>

"I'm fine."

Carson sighed. "You were stunned multiple times and received several bruises on your head and torso. So take it easy, big guy; I'm just doin' my job."

Ronon grunted, rolling his eyes as the doctor finished his examination. Carson glared at him. "You aren't exactly making it easy on me now, are you? Alright, you look good to go, just take it easy for a bit, alright?"

"Sure," came the gruff response.

"Sometimes I don't know why I bother," the Scottish doctor muttered, shaking his head as he made his way over to Teyla. "Alright, let's have a look at that ankle."

Carson felt around for a few moments, occasionally causing Teyla to wince.

"Well, it's still a wee bit swollen, so you'll need to stay off of it for a while. It looks like you tried to walk on it while it was dislocated for quite a bit; shouldn't do that, you know. Best to just suck up the pain and put it back in right away." Teyla hesitated a bit before nodding, avoiding eye contact with the doctor. "But you did do a fine job of resetting it. Should be good as new before long," he finished with a smile as he wrapped the ankle.

"Thank you, Carson," she said, smiling at the doctor as she stood.

Carson smiled and nodded. "Of course, love. Alright, off you go."

She nodded and limped out of the room. Ronon was waiting for her outside, holding a pair of crutches. Teyla eyed them suspiciously.

Ronon shrugged. "Said they were for you." She sighed and nodded, accepting them and making her way down the hall beside Ronon.

After a bit, she slowed. "Ronon, may I speak with you about something?" At his grunt, she continued. "I do not know why this man is having such an effect on me."

Ronon raised an eyebrow, but otherwise kept a neutral gaze. She looked away, suddenly a bit embarrassed.

"I do not understand why I feel a sort of… attraction for this killer. He is supposed to be evil, nearly as bad as the wraith themselves." At his hard look, she raised her hands. "Alright, perhaps not so bad. All the same, they are emotions which I do not understand nor appreciate."

Ronon shrugged. "Power is attracted to power. Strength to strength. The guy is strong."

Teyla nodded slowly. "Are you attracted to power, Ronon?" Again he shrugged. The fell into a comfortable silence for a while.

"You've always been a pretty good judge of character." Ronon's words surprised her, and she glanced at him. "What did you get from him?" he asked, leaning against the hallway wall.

"I… do not know, exactly. He is arrogant and brash, and has a very strong will. He seems to do what he pleases and does not answer to anybody. But… I did not sense evil in him." She finished quietly.

"Maybe we should talk to him," Ronon said, unreadable as ever. Teyla looked startled.

"Are we allowed?"

Ronon smirked. "I'm sure I can convince his guards. Come on."


	15. Tempers Run High

"What the hell were you thinking?"

Weir jumped and turned to face a very angry Colonel Sheppard walking into her office, closing the door behind him. "Excuse me?" she asked, taken back by his abruptness.

"Listen, if you are going to send my team out, you give me all the information first." John stopped in front of her desk, glaring daggers at her.

"You are given the information on a need-to-know basis, Colonel Sheppard. You were told everything you should have needed to bring this man in, and you did." She answered coolly, glaring back at him. John snarled in disgust.

"Don't give me that crap, _Director._ First, we didn't know how big of a problem we were dealing with. Second, chasing someone all over Sateda, having a team member kidnapped, boarding and escaping a Wraith ship, and having a gun pointed at my head through a wormhole, is not a regular mission. And third, doing all this for a damn _ZPM_?"

Weir's eyes grew at the description of the mission, and her hand went to her heart. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yes, everyone is just peachy," growled John. "I don't care what you think my team should or shouldn't know. From now on, if there is _any_ relevant information on _any_ assignment, you give it to me. I also want _everything_ you have on Riddick."

Weir glared at him once more, and started to protest. The icy look John gave was enough to curb her pride, however, and she nodded curtly. "Very well, John. But if you try this stunt again, you will find yourself back flying on earth's air force. Do you understand?"

John gave a sarcastically sweet smile. "Perfectly, Elizabeth. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to check up on my team. We'll be at the debriefing in an hour." Without another word he turned and walked from the room.

* * *

><p>The debriefing was uneventful, though the tension between John and Elizabeth was nearly tangible. Ronon stayed quiet, as usual. Talking wasn't a strong point of his, and he did nothing to hide that fact. He was proud of John though; he knew the colonel had gone into Weir's office, and judging by their attitude towards each other in the present he figured John had voiced his unhappiness with the mission. The fact that she had obviously listened pulled at the corners of his mouth just slightly, although he hid the smirk when she looked in his direction.<p>

More and more during the meeting, however, he found his gaze returning to Teyla. Though he hid it well, her question had unnerved him. In follow-up, she had admitted that whatever feelings she had for Riddick were based on respect and desire, as opposed to love or caring. Ronon wasn't sure if this was supposed to make him feel any better about it, but he let it slide.

She had stayed quiet during most of the meeting, only clarifying a few details of New Mecca and their trip to Sateda. The only information added about her time spent with Riddick was that he had indeed caught and overpowered her, following which they were apprehended by the wraith. Ronon could tell there was more to the story, judging by her expression when the attention of the room had diverted to Rodney's assessment of the gate. He made a mental note to ask her about it later.

"As it stands, the gate is still very unstable. I'm guessing the wraith had attempted to dial through while time I was patching it, and succeeded the moment I got it steady enough to open," he explained, only to be interrupted by John.

"Which makes us think that they are keeping tabs on the planet. Sateda is one of the few places that promised a decent resistance to the wraith, and they don't want repopulation there any time soon."

"Well yes, I was about to say that," snapped McKay. Ronon tuned them out as the bickering started once more, focusing instead on remembering his fight with Riddick.

The man was strong. Fast enough to be able to keep up with Ronon, and yet there was something else. Intelligence; not merely knowledge, but a presence in the fight that allowed him to be aware of his surroundings and his enemies movements more clearly. Ronon wasn't sure how long the fight would have lasted if the man hadn't retrieved the gun; as much as he now respected Teal'c, this convict would probably have beaten him before an hour's time was up.

"Ronon? Anything you would like to add?"

Weir's voice brought him back to the present, and he fixed her with a bored stare. "No."

"John said you were awake before the rest of the team once Todd left you. Were you able to get any more information on Riddick?" she asked. Ronon realized that she suspected a fight had happened; the rest of the team had been out, and despite being stunned with his own pistol, he had still been the first one to break consciousness.

"He's fast. Strong. Good at thinking on his feet, and looking for opportunities," he complied, giving the little information he had been able to get.

Weir nodded. "Well, it is obvious that this man is extremely dangerous. I'll contact Johns and arrange the meeting as soon as possible."

"As to receive our payment as quickly as we can?" asked Teyla was an uncharacteristically cold voice. Weir glared at her.

"The man is a criminal and a killer. By doing this, we hope to be able to set up good connections and trade agreements with New Mecca through our contact, the Chief of Security. How he shows his gratitude is not of consequence."

Teyla remained silent, and Weir nodded as she turned to leave.

"Since when did we become mercenaries?"

Everyone stopped at Ronon's sudden question. Weir turned slowly and leveled him with a cold look. "What makes you say we are?"

Ronon returned with a look of his own. "Hunting down people for a prize. Sounds like a bounty hunter to me."

Weir didn't answer, choosing instead to leave the room. "Well, I guess that means meeting adjourned," quipped John, strolling out as Rodney quickly followed. Teyla slowly rose, still lost in thought, and Ronon touched her shoulder. "You alright?"

She jumped slightly before turning. "Yes, of course. I am sorry, I was distracted," she admitted, giving him a tired smile.

Ronon nodded, putting a hand on her shoulder as they walked out. When they were out of view, he nudged her towards a hallway.

She gave him a confused look, and he shrugged. "You said you wanted to talk to him. Unless you want me to go first," he added, a slight smile playing on his face. She returned the smile shaking her head.

"No, but thank you. I'll go." They walked back down towards the holding cells. Most of the staff was concentrated elsewhere, and they saw very few people along the way. When they reached the doors, armed guards blocked their path.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but Weir left us specific instructions for guarding this man. Four guns outside, six inside, and nobody goes in or out without her permission," one stated, glancing nervously at Ronon.

The big man glared at him, walking to stand directly in front of the man. "We're the exception." He began to push his way past, and the other guards outside drew their weapons. Ronon began to pull his, but Teyla's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Please, we do not wish the cause trouble," she said, staring pointedly at Ronon. "I would simply like to speak with that man alone.

The guards glanced at each other; none of them wanted to get into trouble for disobeying a direct order, but angering either of the aliens frightened them as well. Finally, Teyla spoke up again.

"You can watch us through the cameras; if there is any trouble, I'm sure you and Ronon will be able to respond quickly enough."

The men glanced around again, and the unofficial leader finally nodded. "But make it fast; we're sticking our necks out for you here."

Teyla smiled at him. "It is appreciated, and thank you." She nodded to Ronon, and he leaned against the wall to wait. Once the guards inside had left, she entered the room and closed the door.

The change in lighting caused her to blink a few times as her night vision adjusted. When she finally looked up, the electricity once again ran up and down her spine. Riddick's teal eyes gleamed in the soft light as he tilted his head, smiling.

"Hello, beautiful."


	16. Teyla's Confrontation

Weir found John in the mess hall, sitting by himself and mulling over his tray. She sat down across from him and looked up expectantly. John didn't look up as he spoke.

"Why are we doing this?"

Her lips became a firm line as she thought of a satisfactory answer; none were quick to come to mind. "Honestly, for the reasons I said before. He is a criminal, and we are trying to improve trade and diplomacy with any city we have contact with."

"And we get a ZPM," John commented dryly. He held up his hand to stop Elizabeth before she could argue. "Enough with the charades, alright? I know that's the main thing here. We do a lot to get those things, always have. It just bugs me when we are willing to sell a person for one."

Weir nodded, allowing a moment of silence to pass as the man continued to contemplate. "John, I know you don't like this. I don't like it much either, but you have to remember that Riddick is a serial killer and a criminal. If he were simply a political opponent, or technological rival, we would never agree to such terms. But under the circumstances, I felt that it was justifiable. Obviously, I didn't realize the inherent danger of tracking such a man," she added quickly.

John finally met her gaze. "That's the other thing that bugs me. I've been reading over the material you gave me on Riddick. Apparently, he's been in and out of prisons since he was an adult, sometimes earlier depending on the system he was in. Yes, he's killed a lot of people, mostly the mercenaries and guards that dealt with him. There's a list of civilian casualties as well, but it's pretty small. And only when the civilian hindered him from escaping captivity."

"So, what are you saying," she asked, a bit apprehensively.

John leaned forward. "Before that he was in and out of juvie systems since he was seven. I couldn't find what first got him in there, but apparently the first murder was when he was fifteen. One of the staff members tried to rape him, and he killed the man. My point is, there were several times when I'm pretty sure he could have killed us and been done with it, especially Teyla. But he didn't."

Elizabeth sighed; she saw where this was going, and she didn't like it. "What's the point, John?"

"The point is that I don't think we know the whole story on this guy. The other civilians, the ones who weren't killed by means to escape? Molesters, rapists, and psychos. I mean, I'm not one for somebody playing God and all, but I don't think he's your average, run of the mill serial killer. And," he added darkly, "I don't trust this Johns guy. He claims to be the head of security, and yet we meet him in a back room of a building alone. Riddick already knew we were there, so it wasn't as if he were hiding from anything. Something's not right with this whole picture." He sat back as he finished, staring at his food once more.

Dr. Weir frowned, glancing downward. If she were honest, John was right. Something was very fishy about this entire deal, and she wasn't sure she liked the direction it was going.

"Regardless, John, the capture of such a man will still improve conditions with this new world, no matter who his victims are. And I did have confirmation from another secretary in the New Mecca government that Johns was who he claimed to be; a man named Toombs. In the end, however this works out, we are still doing what is best for Atlantis and New Mecca," she said, reaching forward to lay a hand on his arm.

John stared at it for a second before pulling his own away and standing. "And in the end," he replied bitterly, "You still get your ZPM."

Weir opened her mouth to argue, but John had turned and walked away.

* * *

><p>Teyla swallowed, allowing a mask to fall over her emotions as she approached the bars. Riddick smirked at her from the other side, arms draped across the inside metal casings as his fingers dangled dangerously close to the edge of the force field.<p>

"I have come to speak with you," she said coolly, regarding him with caution as his head tilted.

"You ever tasted human blood? Metallic, copper-like, almost. When you hit the sweet spot, left of the spine, fourth lumbar down…"

"Enough," Teyla almost shouted, closing her eyes in a brief loss of control. When she opened them again, the mask was back in place. Riddick looked at her, his face unreadable.

"I should have ghosted you back on that planet," he said evenly. He wore the same clothes he had on Sateda; cargo pants and a black wife beater.

Teyla nodded. "And yet you didn't. Why not?"

"If it bothers you, I can always fix that." Teyla unconsciously flinched, but before she had time to be upset with herself, Riddick continued. "To be honest, still don't know. You did hold up part of your deal, though. You got me off the planet."

Teyla felt a nudge of guilt, remembering her earlier claim to get her team off of the chase. In the confusion surrounding escaping the Wraith, she had forgotten.

"I am sorry for breaking my word," she said slowly, searching his eyes for any flicker of emotion. Nothing.

"Don't be; I'd do the same to you." His answer was not malicious or cold, but straight forward. "I told you, strong survival instinct. Attractive," he added, his grin becoming predatory once more. Teyla felt the heat rise in her cheeks as her anger grew equally.

"I do not understand you, Riddick. You kill, but you have not killed me. You are a murderer, an evil man, and yet I am drawn to you," she blurted, venting out of frustration at the man in the cell. "Why are you so difficult to understand?"

Riddick didn't flinch, hardly even smirked when she had finished. "It takes an animal to understand an animal. Ask your friend. He knows," he added, backing away from the bars and sitting against the far metal casings.

"Ronon?" Teyla breathed, eyes widening. "Why do you say that?"

Riddick tilted his head to one side. "You think I'm arrogant. Cocky. Do things my way, not giving a damn about anyone else's rules. Strong. But you don't think I'm evil; if you did, you wouldn't be down here." When she didn't meet his eyes after the last statement, he smiled. "How much of what I said can describe him?"

* * *

><p>He could see her anger grow once more. "Do not dare compare yourself to Ronon. His life has been one difficulty after another. His people were wiped out, his wife murdered, and spent the next seven years constantly running from the wraith. He became strong to save himself, turned away from others and their help in order to keep them safe. Ronon is a good man. You are nothing like him," she finally ended, breathing hard, eyes murderous.<p>

_Try beginning your life with your umbilical cord wrapped around your neck, lady. Try keeping quiet when your father and mother beat you senseless from the time you are three until you stab one of them, just so you can go to juvie. _

_But that's where the animal side comes from; he got his running the monster. I got mine from killing it. Because sometimes, the best way to beat the monster is to become the monster. Sometimes it's the only way._

He said nothing, just staring at her until she could control herself once more. "Ask him. Ask him what he had to do to survive. Ask him about how his mentality became that of an animal, knowing nothing but the need for food and safety. About how right and wrong no longer mean a thing when it's your own life on the line."

But Teyla refused to hear any more, turning and walking quickly from the room. Riddick leaned his head back against the bars, frowning. Why did he do that, humor her, and aggravate her? He growled, pushing his thoughts away.

_It was entertaining. Besides, the last thing I need is for her to be hanging around. Easier when there are just marines; her "Ronon" and his gun are more than I want to deal with. Johns, you're gonna love this psycho-bit crew._

It was several hours later before the doors opened once more and the guards filed out. In their place entered one of the men from the planet earlier; John. He was carrying a set of files and, after shutting the door, pulled up a chair and sat facing Riddick.

_Well this should be fun._

"Richard B. Riddick," he said as he gave him a charming smile. "Convict, murderer."


	17. Animal's Way

Teyla had stalked past Ronon, and after nodding at the guards he had followed her. They said nothing as she led him down towards the training barracks, only stopping for her to grab her escrima sticks. When they reached the designated room, Ronon picked up his bokken without a word, and they fought.

It didn't take long for him to realize she was off. Most of the time, Teyla could beat Ronon on a pure skill level. He would never admit it, but even if he could win in a life or death struggle, she was the superior martial artist. This time, however, there was no precision behind her attacks. Ronon was finding it easy to read her movements and block her blows, though they were admittedly stronger than before. She drove him in circles around the mats, attacking in quick succession over and over again. He simply reacted, barely using any energy deflecting the blows. _Is this what I'm like when I attack? No wonder she always beats me._

Ronon allowed his eyes to glance around, predicting her movements, anticipating her attacks as he found her rhythm. With a well-timed strike, he knocked one of the sticks from her hand. She continued on, undeterred, striking with even greater speed with the remaining weapon. Ronon countered, predicting yet another blow and pushing through, causing her to go defensive.

Slowly the circle reversed, this time with Ronon driving Teyla backwards. When they were back to where the fight had started, Ronon feigned, drawing out an attack and then using Teyla's momentum to throw her away from him. It only took a moment for her to regain her balance, and when she turned, Ronon had retrieved her lost weapon. In a swift move, he pinned her stick holding arm against the wall and held the blade of his wooden sword to her throat. She hissed, beginning to attack with her fist and legs, and Ronon grunted as he was forced to back away.

_That's enough._

When she attacked again, he grabbed her wrist in one hand and her throat in another. Using his leg as a lever, he spun, tripping her and pinning her softly, yet firmly, to the ground. He glanced up, barely ducking behind his shoulder as she struck out with her foot. She was flailing now, grunting, gasping even though his hand barely touched her throat.

"Teyla, snap out of it," he growled. She didn't respond, causing a twinge of concern in the big man. "Teyla!"

She stopped and glanced around the room, stunned. Ronon let go and helped her up when he saw that whatever nightmare had plagued her mind was gone. Taking a deep breath, she sat against the wall with Ronon.

"When did you begin to use strategy in a fight?" she asked, smiling a bit at her friend. Ronon smirked.

"After fighting Riddick."

Teyla nodded, then quirked her head. "You never told me the outcome of that fight."

An eyebrow rose. "Isn't it obvious?"

She rolled her eyes, elbowing him softly. "Yes, the result was obvious. But what exactly happened during your fight?"

Ronon shrugged. Out of the entire Atlantis team, Teyla was the person he trusted the most, followed closely by John. It still wasn't easy for him to talk, but he was getting better at it.

"He beat me. He was faster than Teal'c, but hit just as hard. And he was smart; he kept me distracted until he could go for my gun again."

Teyla nodded. "And that is the strategy you used to gain my weapon just now, yes?"

"Yup."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, Teyla regaining her breath and Ronon contemplating. For everything that had happened, he held a grudging respect for Riddick, as he did for anyone who could outfight him.

"Ronon, when I was talking with him, Riddick told me that I was unable to understand him. He said that only an animal could understand an animal." Teyla took a breath and continued. "He said that you would know what that meant."

It took a while for Ronon to answer, but he finally nodded. "Yeah, I know."

"Would you… care to tell me about it?"

Ronon leaned back. He had never been one for words, and this was certainly a difficult topic to discuss. This would be a long talk.

* * *

><p>John nodded at Riddick's introduction. "Pleasure," he quipped. He pulled up a chair and sat beside the bars.<p>

Riddick stared at him curiously. "Come to read me my bedtime story?"

"Yeah, we'll go with that," came the reply. He opened a file full of papers and began looking through them. "I'm curious about you, Riddick."

"You're not the only one," Riddick said, settling against the bars once more.

"Okay, this beating around the bush thing really isn't my style. Cutting the crap, I want to know why you didn't kill us."

"Another popular topic. Asked you're wraith friend the same question."

John tilted his head. "Yeah? What did he have to say?"

"Said you guys were good resources."

"Not exactly sure how I feel about that description," commented John.

Riddick shrugged. "Pretty high compliment if he's like that bitch queen we had the pleasure of meeting."

John smirked and glanced at the papers again. "So here's the deal. You're wanted big time for murders. You've got people saying that you're the worst thing that's ever come their way, that you just like to kill for fun, and so on. But we are still alive."

"If you are complaining, I'd be more than happy to fix the problem."

"Not exactly what I was getting at," muttered John, starting to look through the papers again. "Okay, how about this: what was the first thing that got you sent to juvie?"

Riddick was silent for a long moment, staring ahead as if lost in thought.

"Don't remember."

John tilted his head. "That's surprising, considering you've had almost perfect memory when your mental status was tested at each prison. And each time, you gave them a different story. Once you stole a piece of bread, another time you took another kid hostage, and another time you blew up a factory you were forced to work in." Riddick grinned slightly at the last one, and John rolled his eyes. "I'm guessing that none of those are true. But records don't go back that far for you. So what was it?"

"Beats me. Doesn't really matter as far as I'm concerned," the large man answered dully.

John sighed, standing. "Fine, don't let me help you. Tomorrow we'll be contacting Johns, and you'll get thrown in some other slam. Good luck with that."

"I'm looking forward to it," Riddick grinned. "By the way, when you call Johns, ask him about that ZPM you're trading me for. Ask what he did to get his hands on it."

John only paused for a moment before walking out the door.

* * *

><p>"You do what you can to survive. Emotions mean nothing, people mean nothing. You really do become an animal." Ronon shifted, still obviously not entirely comfortable with the amount of talking he had done. Teyla understood, nodding for him to continue.<p>

"After a while, you think a certain way. Everything is either there to help you get stronger, or an obstacle in your way. If it doesn't help you, it's hurting you. You can't afford to think about the family you stole from just so you could eat. Whether or not they starve, who is blamed for the missing things, none of that matters to you. If you don't think that way, you die quickly."

"And… you had begun to think in this manner, yes?"

Ronon nodded. "I did. I avoided staying with people as much as I could, but aside from that, anything was justifiable. I stole, robbed, even ambushed people who I thought would be carrying food or supplies."

Teyla looked up in mild shock, and Ronon met her eyes. "I never killed anyone. But you do what you have to do. If I had taken the time to consider the lives and convenience of everyone I stole from, I would have died a long time ago."

"I see," she said softly, glancing towards the door. "And so you understand this man, Riddick?"

"I guess," Ronon shrugged non-committedly. "We don't know his story. We don't know why he did whatever he did."

"But if it was justifiable…"

"By who?" asked Ronon. "If you ask Sheppard or Weir, they might say no. If you ask me, I'll say yes. If you ask the people it happened to, they'll say no. He did what he had to so he could survive." He shrugged. "That's it. He was caught. Doesn't mean it was wrong, just means that he pissed off the wrong people and got caught."

Teyla was still for a long moment, nodding slowly. "You're saying that he did what he believed was right for him by stealing or killing, and these people are doing what they believe is right by locking him up."

"Pretty much." Ronon nodded. "I don't know much about him. But I do know that you're a good judge of character. So if you don't think he's that bad, maybe we have our facts wrong."

Teyla nodded again. "Perhaps we should talk with John about this. I would like to know if we could find anything else out about this man."


	18. More Than Meets The Eye

"John, do you have a moment?"

The colonel turned to see Teyla and Ronon walking towards him. He smiled, sitting with his food tray and indicated form them to join him. "I actually wanted to talk to you both, so this works out great. You want to grab some food first?"

Ronon nodded, making his way towards the food as Teyla politely declined and sat down. John took a bite and motioned towards her with his fork. "So what's up?"

"Ronon and I have some questions about our prisoner," she said, leaning slightly forward on the table. John kept his face passive, nodding for her to continue. She had entered her negotiation state, so whatever this was, she found it important.

"We would like to know about some of his crimes, or any other information on him. The report we got from Johns doesn't seem to go into any detail with many of them, aside from large descriptions of the violence."

John nodded slowly. "That has bothered me, too. I've looked up as much as I can, but unfortunately most public records aren't much different. I did find some interesting stuff from more private resources though," he continued as Ronon sat down. "I don't think Riddick is the monster that Johns makes him out to be."

"Why not?" asked Ronon around a mouthful of food.

"It doesn't seem like he kills as often as he should, if he really were just a serial killer. Like this one," he said, indicating a report as he handed the document to Teyla. "Three dead in a warehouse, supposedly after he had called them there for a meeting. But just two doors down, there was a room full of kids at a makeshift daycare center. If he had wanted destruction and death, why not there?"

Ronon shrugged as Teyla spoke. "Perhaps he has problems killing children. Do not serial killers often set rules that they will not cross?"

"That's what I thought too," answered John. "But something else is fishy. The three men who were dead were suspected of raping a girl nearly a week before. There was no proof, and on that planet, they didn't even have to stand trial. I looked up several more, and it's all the same. Whenever people die, it's either because he is trying to escape and they stop him, or they have been suspected of some big crime. Almost always involving a kid," he added.

"So he's got a soft spot for kids?" Ronon asked.

John shrugged. "Don't know. But there's one more thing. This Johns guy was supposed to be the head of security on New Mecca."

Ronon snorted. "Head of security? Didn't look it."

"Neither did he act the part," agreed Teyla.

"That's what I thought. I didn't question it because when Weir sent us, she was confident. And we were getting a ZPM," he added, looking a bit ashamed.

Ronon ignored his friend's embarrassment. "And now?"

"Now I say he's lying."

Teyla leaned forward once more. "What makes you so sure?"

John pulled out some more documents. "This," he said, pointing at a picture. There was Johns, along with another side-burned man, holding several prisoners and shaking hands with what appeared to be a military leader. "It doesn't give his name, or the name of the other guy. But this was just six months ago. I don't know of any planet that would be willing to promote someone to head of security in under six months."

"The document says that he is a bounty hunter," Teyla observed. John nodded.

Ronon glared from the picture to John. "What did Weir say?"

"She didn't," the colonel sighed. "She said I must have gotten the information wrong, or maybe the picture was not right. Either way, she wants us to go through with this deal and get the ZPM."

"So what are we going to do?" asked Teyla. Ronon nodded, leaning in a bit.

"I don't know yet. Nothing we really can do until we have to give him to Johns. Until then, I'll keep checking up on things. Maybe you guys should try talking to him," he added, looking between his two teammates.

Teyla backed down a bit, and was about to answer when Ronon spoke up. "I'll try."

John looked surprised. "You, big guy? You've never been one for talking."

Ronon shrugged. "Who knows? We might get lucky."

Riddick looked up as the doors opened, revealing the dreadlocked man known as Ronon as he walked towards the bars. The guards quickly filed out, and he noticed the cameras turning away and off.

_Must not want him to get into trouble. Intimidation? That won't work so well with me. But this can still be fun._

A grin split Riddick's face as he looked at the large man. "It's an animal thing."


	19. Past Tragedies, Future Problems

Johns switched on the screen and sat back, acting relaxed. There were a few moments of static before the face of Elizabeth Weir appeared on the screen.

"Ah, Ms. Weir. How are things going for the Atlantis crew?"

"Kidnappings, wraith fights, and near death experiences; so nothing out of the ordinary," she deadpanned, and Johns kept a smirk from his face. "We have apprehended the criminal Riddick as you asked. I assume that you in turn have the ZPM we agreed upon?"

"You know what, because you guys were so helpful in all of this, I'm gonna throw in another Zero-point Module. Don't look so surprised," he added at the look of shock on Weirs face. "Technology over here isn't as advanced as yours, so when things like this come through trade, we have no use for them. We only have two, but I'm willing to give you both of them."

Weir, for her part, did try not to look elated at the news. Nodding quickly, she smiled. "That would be more than welcome, Johns. Please tell your superiors in New Mecca that we are grateful for your support."

"Of course," he answered smoothly. "When can we arrange a transfer?"

"We can meet at the stargate on New Mecca tomorrow. I trust that works out well for everyone?"

"Indeed it does," agreed Johns. "If that is all, then I will see you tomorrow, Ms. Weir."

"Thank you, Johns."

They cut the transmission, and Johns spun in his chair. Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would have Riddick. Glancing over, he assessed the two ZPM's lying on his desk. One was obviously broken; he never said he'd give them two _working_ ZPM's.

Now he just had to manage what happened tomorrow.

* * *

><p>"Why are you here?"<p>

Ronon grunted at the bald man's question. "To talk."

"Talk about what."

"Beats me."

Riddick chuckled darkly, leaning back once more against the metal frame of his cage. "Teyla spoke with you," he guessed.

"Yeah."

"And you told her about being an animal."

Ronon shrugged. "I told her what it was like. Not how it is in the present."

Riddick cocked his head. "The present? No difference. People don't change; once you've become an animal, you can't rejoin the human race. Not even if you wanted to."

"I did," countered Ronon. "I'm not completely there yet, but I've started. The animal's always gonna be a part of me. But I can control it now."

"Controlling it?" scoffed Riddick. "Taming the beast. What's the point? You want to take the one thing that's let you survive this long, and make him useless?"

"I want to live, instead of just survive."

Riddick grinned. "Cute. Did you get that from Teyla, or are there self-help books around here somewhere?" Ronon smirked as well, waiting as the convict continued. "You've had your whole race eliminated. You became some kind of legend by surviving for seven years as a runner. And you want to take the one thing that separated you from the rest, and tame it? Your group is crazier than I thought."

"What about you?" asked Ronon in reply. "What caused your animal to come out?"

Riddick was silent for a moment, before turning his head away. "Don't know. Don't really care. I don't really focus on the past too much. Present's got too many problems for me to deal with."

"We're turning you in tomorrow."

"So I figured. It'll be good getting back to where I know how things work. I'm sick of your psycho-fuck group anyhow."

Ronon nodded again, trying desperately to read the man. But it had never been one of his strengths; Teyla was much more adept than he, and he wasn't going to ask her to come in her again just het. So he tried a different strategy.

"The planet we were chasing you on was my home planet."

Riddick looked up at that, tilting his head slightly. Ronon sat in the chair nearby and continued. "Wraith started coming through. We didn't have the technology to stop them. Killed or fed on anybody they found. Everyone important to me died."

Riddick nodded slowly. "And that's what released the animal."

"Yeah."

The convict chuckled. "It was an umbilical cord around the neck in a dumpster for me. Been an animal ever since."

"Doesn't mean you can't change," Ronon tried one more time. Riddick just looked at him.

"Who says I want to?"


	20. Final Visit

Ronon walked into the mess hall lost in thought. His conversation with Riddick went about as well as expected; he hadn't expected much to begin with. Better he talk to the man than Teyla, though; she was already upset enough over the entire matter.

He really couldn't blame her. Even after his conversation, he was left with mixed feelings about the convict. The man clearly followed his own particular moral code, but the exact nature of that code was anyone's guess. He didn't want to hurt children, that much was clear. He also didn't seem to kill unless he deemed it necessary, or unless someone he deemed deserving of death happened to come along his path. But he was still a murderer, and it was clear that he would gladly add their names to the list if it meant his freedom. No, Riddick wasn't a good man. But was he completely evil?

A hand on his shoulder caused Ronon's head to jerk up. John raised a hand, chuckling.

"Easy there, big guy. You didn't say anything when I called to you, so I figured you were kinda out of it."

"Out of what?"

"… Never mind. So, you get anything from your chat?" John asked as they sat at one of the mess tables.

Ronon shrugged. "He mentioned that Johns was a mercenary. Wanted to take him to some place called Butcher Bay."

John nodded. "It's a maximum security prison, pretty high up on the 'never escape from' list. So that's not a surprise."

"We gonna do it?"

"Do what?"

Ronon looked at John. "Turn him in."

John stopped walking and leaned against the hallway wall, letting out a small breath. "I don't see that we really have a choice. When it comes right down to it, Johns is taking him to prison, where he belongs. Even if he was lying about being with New Mecca security, what else would we do with a first-class criminal? I don't really like the idea of him staying here for long."

Ronon nodded, still lost in thought.

"Look, I'm gonna check on Teyla. She really hasn't been dealing with this thing too well," continued John as he started walking again.

_You have no idea, _Ronon thought bitterly, glaring at his friends back. He didn't hold a grudge against John, but he still found it frustrating how dense the man could be at times.

Ronon shook his head. He was way to stressed; it was time to train again.

* * *

><p>Teyla let out a deep breath, eyes closed, as she tried once again to slip into meditation. It had been more difficult that day, and she was having trouble clearing her mind. Riddick's voice continued to echo inside her head, raising questions she had no answers to. She wasn't sure why, but even after all of her knowledge and anger, she couldn't help but feel guilt once more for his current position. When someone came to the door, it was a welcome distraction.<p>

She opened it to John, hands in his pockets as he waited. "Is everything alright?" she asked automatically, inviting him inside.

"As good as they can be, all things considered," he muttered without meeting her eyes. Sitting in a chair, he let out a deep breath. "I wanted to apologize."

Teyla tilted her head. "I am unsure as to the reason you feel the need…" she started, before John interrupted her.

"I ran into the mission without all the information. I was excited about the chance to get a ZPM, and didn't think about the possible repercussions. I mean, we're an expedition team. We aren't bounty hunters; we aren't supposed to go chasing dangerous criminals. And because I went along with it, you were put into danger. And for that, I'm sorry."

Teyla nodded, allowing her friend to finish before sitting beside him and placing a hand on his arm. When he finally met her gaze, she smiled at him.

"I do not blame you for actions, John. I am sure that if any of us had expected this much danger, things would have gone very differently all around. Nobody blames you. Including Ronon," she added at his look of doubt. "You did not know."

John nodded, a ghost of a smile crossing his face. "Thanks," he mumbled, looking down again.

Teyla grinned. "But that is not the only reason you came here?"

"No; I just don't know what to do about tomorrow. I know that we have to turn this guy in; he's still a criminal, no matter what. And even if this guy Johns is a bounty hunter, he'll still be taking him to prison where he belongs."

"But?"

"But something still just doesn't feel right," John admitted. "Something still seems off about this whole thing. And there's nothing I can do about it."

Teyla nodded. "Was Ronon able to get any more information from Riddick?"

John chuckled. "Not useful. Apparently he was in there for a while; it almost seems like they could get along."

"They are very similar," agreed Teyla.

"He confirmed what we thought about Johns being a mercenary, and that he's taking Riddick to a prison planet. Aside from that, nothing really else," John finished. Glancing at Teyla's distracted look, he chuckled. "Get some rest. Tomorrow we'll be done with this. And trust me, I've had a talk with Elizabeth. This won't happen again."

"Of course; thank you, John," Teyla answered, smiling warmly at the man as he left. But even after his departure, she found herself unable to relax.

Finally, after sitting for another hour, she got up and made her way to the security cells. The guards saw her coming and immediately cleared out the room; after so many visits, they had decided not to question if one of John's team came in requesting to see the convict. Slowly, the door opened, and she walked inside.

* * *

><p>Riddick looked up, head tilting slightly at the sight of her. "Would've figured you to stay away until I was handed over," he admitted, his voice low.<p>

Teyla sat in the chair facing him, willing her face into a stoic mask. "I wish to speak with you again."

"I guess I don't really have much of a choice, do I?"

"No, that you do not." He tilted his head back, and Teyla felt a bit of confusion. "You are not going to make this difficult?"

"You're handing me over tomorrow. I've already decided that I'm not gonna escape when you guys are in charge; too much hassle. Besides, you are the one who got me off that planet."

Teyla nodded slowly. "Very well, thank you for cooperating."

Riddick shrugged, and Teyla took her cue to continue. "How did you defeat the Replicator?" At his confused look, she continued. "The machine used to read your mind. It attempted to for several minutes, and then it seemed to self-destruct."

Riddick nodded in understanding. "The thing that was trying to mind-fuck me," he mumbled, irritated at the memory. It was far too invasive for comfort, even if he had destroyed the thing.

Teyla nodded. "There are very few humans able to resist the telepathic assault, and none that I am aware of which could do as you did. To resist, we have been informed, is to realize that the hallucination is not reality."

Riddick nodded. "Makes sense. I couldn't smell him; figured something was wrong. Then I was in some strange, swirling… place. Hell if I know what it was. Thing claimed it was my mind."

"Yes," agreed Teyla, leaning forward slightly. "And then?"

Riddick looked up at her, the predatory look still etched in his eyes and smile. "I killed him. Trust me, woman; my mind is not a nice place to be."

Teyla felt a shiver run down her spine at his tone, but kept her face neutral. "So, because you killed him in your mind, the machine itself was destroyed?"

Riddick shrugged. "Beats me. Honestly, I don't remember much of what happened after that. There was a lot of shooting, and then your boy Ronon knocked me out cold."

Teyla shifted uncomfortably. "I apologize for his impulsiveness." Riddick let out a non-committal grunt.

"Is there anything we should know about Johns?" she asked, opting for a change in topic direction.

"Johns… I like Johns," said Riddick, smiling. "Cold, ruthless. He'll sacrifice your ass to save his own. And those ZPM's, or whatever you call them? I'd check to make sure they're good; he'll play you if he can."

* * *

><p>Teyla sat for a long moment. "Riddick, I do not know why we must trade you in. I do not know why I have felt so strange around you, or what will happen to you when you are gone."<p>

Riddick watched as she paused, her carefully-placed mask slipping slightly. _Maybe not as strong as I thought; survival, but held back by emotion and attachment._

"I do wish to express my apology that our paths have crossed in such a way as this."

Riddick could suddenly sense her weakness, her doubt at the situation. _She is unsure. She is guilty. Guilty for trying to put me away? That's a new one. _Riddick felt a ping of empathy for the woman; she was not putting on a show. She honestly was unsure of her actions, and wished that he had a human side to him still.

_The side that kept him from killing her right off. The side that held her to his chest while they were running, rather than leaving her behind when the shooting started. The side that replaced her dislocated ankle before he left her. The side that jumped in front of the blast headed for here during her plan of getting captured…_

It wouldn't me much, he knew. A word of comfort, acknowledgement that her warmness had been received. The evidence of the human side to him. _Right, the human side, _he smirked inwardly. _That side died long ago._

"If we had, you'd be dead," he answered simply, face unchanging. Teyla studied him for a long moment. Then, letting out a small sigh, she looked down and nodded.

"Yes, you are right," she said softly. "Thank you for your coöperation. We will give you to Johns tomorrow." Without another word, she stood and walked out the door, holding her head deceptively high.

Riddick sat still a long time after she had left. Finally, he smirked.

"The animal side is all that's left. Nothing is going to change that. Not even her," he muttered, closing his eyes and lying down, crushing the spark of empathy once and for all.


	21. Remembered

The group blinked in the light as they exited the Stargate. Weir lead with confidence, walking in front of the group towards the small group of soldiers surrounding Johns. John, Teyla, and the rest of the group moved forward a bit more slowly.

They had decided to bring along Lorne and two other marines, just in case. Riddick was chained between Lorne and John, with Ronon and his gun behind. Teyla and Rodney took up the rear.

Rodney glanced around, watching everything with a critical eye. Despite rarely being around after their escape from the Wraith ship, he had been brought into the loop. He couldn't help but agree, in his expert opinion (emphasis on expert), that something was wrong. He readjusted the grip on his P90, looking at the Mercenary's small group of soldiers. Ten in total. He knew they should have brought more men.

"Well, Elizabeth, how good to see you," Johns called out, stepping forward with a case in hand. Rodney rolled his eyes at the obviously fake tone, earning a smirk from Teyla.

"And you as well, Johns. Here is the prisoner, as promised. I suppose you have the ZPM's in that case?"

"Sure do. Now, if you'll hand Riddick over, we'll be on our way…"

"Hang on, uh, Johns, was it?" Rodney said, stepping forward. He pointedly ignored the glare he was receiving from Weir; Shepard knew that something was wrong, and the scientist knew the rest of them had his back. "I'd like to look at them first."

Johns smiled. "I don't think you have the final call here, buddy."

"Look, do you have any knowledge of the technology you are handing over? Two of the most expensive pieces of equipment in the universe, and we damn well have earned it. Now, I'm sure that it's difficult for you to wrap your mind around, but I, as an expert, need to be sure that we are getting what we were promised," Rodney finished. His tirade had been completely for show; inside he was quaking in his boots. But he managed to keep a straight face long enough for Johns to crack.

"Fine; open it up. You'll see that you've received what you were promised," the man answered coolly.

Rodney grabbed the case with an indignant huff and opened it. Looking smug, he held up the obviously useless ZPM. "Ah ha! And I suppose you thought the rust and corrosion on it was just decorative?"

Johns only smiled. "You were promised one good ZPM. You got one good ZPM. The other one was just to make sure you got the job done fast enough."

"You should tell them how you got that one good ZPM, Johns," Riddick's voice broke through the group. "Tell them about the village you massacred looking for it; the ones who thought it was some kind of holy shrine."

Weir looked at Johns expectantly, receiving only a shrug. "How I go about my business is none of your concern. What matters is, you have your equipment. Now give me my prisoner."

"Not on your life," growled John. "The deal is off. You can take that ZPM and shove it up your…"

"Colonel Sheppard, that's enough." Weir snapped. "We accept your offer; you did deliver what you promised."

"Elizabeth, you can't be serious!" shouted John, turning towards her. Weir turned, holding her hand for silence.

"Enough. I don't want to hear another word out of you for the rest of this expedition."

John stared at her for a moment. "Unbelievable," he muttered.

"What did you say?"

John took a step closer until he was in Weir's face. "Un. Fucking. Believable." He ground out each syllable. Then, without another word, he turned on his heel and walked back towards the Stargate. Rodney followed soon after.

Weir turned back to Johns, who had an amused look on his face. "Mister Johns, have a good day; and I hope to never hear from you again."

"Likewise," he replied, smiling. Weir picked up the case and turned back to the Stargate, leaving only Ronon and Teyla.

"Looks like it's time," commented Riddick, wearing a grim smile. Ronon put his hand on his shoulder and leaned in towards his ear.

"Good luck. Kill the bastard," the Satedan said softly. Teyla nodded, then both stepped back as Riddick strode forward.

"Let's go, we don't have all day. I've got you a first-class ticket on the Hunter-Gratzner," Johns said as the convict reached him.

"Can't wait," responded Riddick dryly. As he walked off, he turned his head enough to see the two team members still watching him.

_Humanity… been a long time since I've had that. She'll do that to a person; bring out their humanity. Did it to him. And he stayed strong. _Riddick smiled.

_Good luck._

* * *

><p>Ronon watched as the company disappeared. Turning to Teyla, he nodded towards the Stargate. "Let's go."<p>

Teyla nodded, eyes distant, as she continued to look at the spot Riddick had vanished from. Ronon knew what she was thinking; the mission was over. John and Elizabeth would soon make up, and be back to their pseudo-relationship. Riddick would be forgotten, mentioned only in passing just as all other missions were.

But not for Teyla, and not for him. For them, who had closer encounters with him than any of the others, who somehow understood him, he would never be forgotten. For Ronon, it was the knowledge of the fight, and the strength of the animal. Things he learned from the strange man. For Teyla, well, Ronon was sure not even she understood how she felt about the man. And he was quite sure he didn't want to be privy to certain memories his name might stir.

But he would be remembered. Of that, there was no doubt.


	22. Epilogue

Teyla and Ronon walked through the forest, each lost in their own thoughts. It had been several years since they had last seen Riddick, but every once in a while, something would come up. A reminder, every now and again, of the ghost they had shared an adventure with, a ghost that left Teyla with an elated sensation every time she thought of him, and left Ronon with a sense of respect and near admiration.

The planet was peaceful, as they were simply here for trade negotiations. Ronon had been anxious to get away from the city, and Teyla agreed to walk the outlands with him. They had been walking for a while now, simply enjoying the other's company and the beauty that surrounded them. Ahead, a fox-like creature poked its head out from around a tree. The duo watched as it confidently trotted across the path, then through a stream and back out a dozen meters farther down, hiding its scent. Teyla smiled, nudging Ronon with her elbow. "A fox."

Ronon nodded, a smirk crossing his face. "Riddick."

"What."

Both spun around, Ronon pulling his blaster, to face the source of the sudden voice. Ronon reacted first, letting the gun drop slowly, eyes wide. Teyla simply stared, cheeks slightly red, an unconscious smile on her face. The bald convict stood ten feet away, arms crossed, goggles in place. He didn't look a day older; in fact, if anything, he looked more formidable than before.

"Riddick," Teyla stepped forward, raising her hand in greeting, then paused. After the initial recognition, she realized that the man standing before her wasn't the same man they had seen marched to the Hunter-Gratzner many years ago. The arrogance and cockiness was gone; in its place was a cold, bitter darkness, an icy and stone-cold mask. Ronon noticed as well, and holstered his weapon.

* * *

><p>Riddick didn't move, simply looking at the people who had turned him in to Johns all those years ago. Then again, they had helped him escape from the Wraith. He held no hard feelings. <em>They did what they had to do. At least they kept the people they cared about alive.<em>

* * *

><p>When no one spoke, Ronon shrugged. "What happened?"<p>

"Ship crashed. Escaped a planet with monsters that could rival your Wraith. Three of us did, anyways." Riddick's voice was low and soft, and Teyla couldn't help but detect the sadness when he mentioned the number three.

"Should there have been a fourth?" she asked carefully, calculating his reaction. Riddick paused for a moment, looking at her, then continued.

"Hid for a few years, then fought the Necros. Killed their leader. Abandoned the people. Not my problem." His voice retained the bitterness as he spoke. Both Ronon and Teyla had heard of the Necromongers; they had been a marauding force, several galaxies away, until they suddenly stopped moving. Some sort of civil war had broken out, and the group had destroyed itself.

Something tugged at Teyla's mind, and she paused a moment before speaking again. "And the other survivors from the crash?"

Riddick stood a long moment before he answered. "Dead."

* * *

><p>His history was a lot for him to handle. He could tell by the look on their faces that they were trying to digest the information. <em>I don't always believe it myself.<em>

_Imam, Carolyn, Kira. Anyone important to me. Dead._

* * *

><p>"Teyla, come in, over."<p>

The radio broke through everyone's thoughts, and Teyla walked a few feet away to answer. Ronon and Riddick stared at each other for a long moment.

"They took them away, didn't they?" It wasn't really a question.

Riddick lowered his head slightly, and Ronon could see the muscles in his jaw working. "Sometimes, you become a monster to destroy other monsters," he said in a low voice. "When they are dead, you're the only monster left."

Ronon nodded slowly. Riddick looked over to where Teyla was talking on the radio. "She's the one who helped you rejoin the human race. Don't lose her. Don't become the monster again." He finished the last sentence as Teyla was returning. She gave a confused look to Ronon, but he ignored her.

Riddick gave a hollow sneer, then turned and walked away. The duo watched him go, until he faded into the trees. The ghost had disappeared for good.


End file.
